*m*.m*    m. 


A .  HY/ffT 


RILL 


UNIVERSITY  OF  N.C.  AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


00022229731 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2012  with  funding  from 

University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hill 


http://archive.org/details/uncleabnerslegacOOverr 


BY  THE  SAME  AUTHOR 
THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  CORMORANT 

Illustrated   by   photographs.      $1.35    net. 

Two  American  boys  undertake,  with 
their  uncle,  to  deliver  his  yacht  to  its 
new  owner  in  the  Barbadoes.  The  story 
includes  yachting,  hunting,  fishing 
travel,  adventure,  and  treasure  seeking 
— six  things  dear  to  the  hearts  of  boys. 

IN  MORGAN'S  WAKE 

Illustrated    by   photographs    and   line    sketches. 
$1.35    net. 

Another  cruise  of  the  "Cormorant." 
The  two  boys  seek  and  find  a  wreck  con- 
taining treasure.  Their  adventures  take 
them  to  Cuba  and  South  America. 

UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

Illustrated  by   photographs.      $1.35    net. 

How  a  city  boy  and  girl  made  good  on 
a  farm. 

HENRY    HOLT    AND    COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS  NEW  YORK 


Feeding  time 


UNCLE  ABNER'S 
LEGACY 


BY 


A.  HYATT  VERRILL 

Author  of  The  Cruise  of  the  Cormorant,  In  Morgan  s  Wake, 
Harper's  Book  for  Young  Gardeners,  etc. 


ILLUSTRATED 


NEW  YORK 
HENRY  HOLT  AND  COMPANY 

1915 


Copyright,  1915, 

BT 

HENRY  HOLT  AND  COMPANY 


Published  August,  1915 


INTRODUCTION 

The  object  of  this  book  is  to  show  what  can  be 
accomplished  on  a  small  farm  by  employing  modern 
devices  and  using  scientific  methods.  There  is  noth- 
ing impossible,  nothing  purely  theoretical  about  it; 
everything  done  by  Tom  and  his  sister  and  cousin 
in  the  story  has  been  accomplished  on  real  farms  by 
real  boys  and  girls,  and  any  intelligent,  energetic 
person  can  do  as  much  or  more  on  any  good  fertile 
farm  within  easy  reach  of  a  good-sized  town. 

In  order  that  the  story  may  be  equally  applicable 
to  various  sections  of  the  United  States,  Ridgelea 
Farm  has  not  been  located  in  any  definite  spot,  and 
its  resources  have  been  confined  to  such  as  are  com- 
mon to  a  very  wide  area  of  our  country.  In  the  Far 
West,  in  the  South,  or  in  the  extreme  North,  certain 
of  the  products  described  would  not  be  profitable,  or 
even  possible,  but  in  each  of  these  sections  other 
resources  would  be  available  to  take  the  place  of 
those  mentioned.  The  prices  of  the  various  sup- 
plies, implements,  labor,  etc.,  as  well  as  the  amounts 
received  for  the  products  of  the  farm,  are  the  aver- 


iv  INTRODUCTION 

age  of  quotations  from  reliable  sources  from  various 
districts,  and  they  may  prove  somewhat  higher  or 
lower  than  the  prevailing  rates  in  certain  localities. 
Many  highly  profitable  farm  products  and  side  in- 
dustries are  sadly  neglected  by  our  farmers  and  ag- 
riculturalists and  many  of  these  have  been  touched 
upon  in  this  book.  The  story  is  not  intended  as  a 
complete  handbook  of  gardening,  farming  or  agricul- 
ture, but  is  written  with  the  idea  of  pointing  out  the 
possibilities  of  rural  life,  in  arousing  a  greater  in- 
terest in  modern  farm  methods  and  to  illustrate  the 
advantages  which  the  scientific,  up-to-date  farmer 
possesses  over  the  old-fashioned,  conservative  tiller 
of  the  soil. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.    A  Mysterious  Legacy 1 

II.     A  Fkiend  in  Need 17 

III.  Ways  and  Means 28 

IV.  Helping  Hands 47 

V.    Making  Work  into  Play 67 

VI.    A  Welcome  Marauder 87 

VII.    Planning  for  the  Future Ill 

VIII.    Busy  Days 132 

IX.     Farming  in   Earnest 154 

X.    The  Rewards  of  Labor? 185 

XI.    Conquering  the  Drought? 214 

XII.  Uncle  Abner  Admits  He's  Wrong        ....  229 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


Feeding  time  * Frontispiece 

FACING   PAGE 

A  dense  growth  with  numerous  large  trees        ....  24 

Grand'ther  Joe  looked  up  and  welcomed  them    ....  52 
Tom  had  learned  to  drive  a  mowing  machine  *     .         .         .         .58 

The  barn  was   "shored  up"  and  reshingled*      ....  68 
The  poultry  houses  were  a  credit  to  Tom's  skill  *     .         .         .68 

"I  used  to  watch  the  sawmill  near  Fred  Barton's"  *         .         .  74 

Calling  the  boys  to  lunch 96 

"It's  too  fine  a  tree  to  sacrifice" 130 

The  brook  broke  through  its  icy  covering    .....  154 

Ralph  and  Tom  had  labored  in  the  fields  *  154 

Many  farmers  use  automobiles  as  tractors  *  160 

The  dandelion  is  a  useful  weed 182 

They  now  owned  a  cow       ........  188 

"The  cutest   little  chickens" 188 

Useful  weeds 196 

The  early  vegetables  were  now  ready  *.....  200 

Tom  sped  over  the  roads  towards  town  *     .         .         .         .         .  200 

The  little  grist  mill  was  a  picturesque  spot       ....  202 

Gathering  the  crops*   .........  206 

It  was  good  haying   weather       .         .         .         .         .         .         .214 

Grand'ther  Joe  was  haying  in  his  meadow  .....  224 

Tom's  apples  were  sound  and  of  splendid  size    ....  236 

The  late  crops  were  harvested 236 

*  Courtesy  of  E.  A.  Strout  Co. 


UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

CHAPTEE  I 
A    MYSTERIOUS    LEGACY 

"Hurrah,  Kit!"  cried  Tom,  as  he  burst  into  the 
little  room.  "What  do  you  think?  Uncle  Abner  has 
remembered  us  in  his  will." 

"Honest?"  queried  Kitty  incredulously — and, 
without  waiting  for  confirmation,  continued: 
"What  is  it,  his  old  snuffbox  or  a  haircloth  sofa!  I 
don't  believe  he'd  leave  us  anything  else." 

"That's  where  you  get  left,  then,"  cried  Tom. 
"Uncle  may  have  been  a  tight-fisted  old  chap  when 
alive,  but  he's  made  up  for  it  in  the  end.  He's  left 
us  his  farm." 

His  sister  dropped  into  a  chair.  "A  farm!"  she 
exclaimed.  ' '  I  don 't  believe  it.  Tom  Manville,  stop 
your  fooling  this  instant  and  be  serious." 

"I  am  serious,  Kit,"  Tom  assured  her.  "Honest 
Injun.  See  here,  if  you  don 't  believe  it. ' '  He  tossed 
an  official-looking  envelope  into  her  lap. 


2  UNCLE    ABNER'S    LEGACY 

Kitty  drew  forth  a  sheet  of  legal  cap  and,  spread- 
ing it  on  the  table,  read  as  follows : 

"Mr.  Thomas  Manville: 

"Sir. — As  executor  of  the  estate  of  your  uncle,  the  late  Ahner 
Bennett,  Esq.,  I  have  the  pleasure  of  informing  you  that  the 
property  known  as  Ridgelea  Farm  has  been  bequeathed  to  you 
and  your  sister,  Miss  Kathryn  Manville,  by  the  terms  of  the  last 
will  and  testament  of  the  deceased.  If  you  will  kindly  call  at  my 
office  in  company  with  your  sister  I  shall  be  pleased  to  deliver 
the  deeds  to  the  property  in  accordance  with  the  law.  I  might 
add  that  your  uncle's  will  also  mentions  a  certain  package  of 
papers  which  is  to  be  delivered  to  you  exactly  one  year  to  a  day 
after  you  assume  possession  of  Ridgelea  Farm,  but  under  certain 
conditions  which  I  cannot  at  present  disclose. 

"Yours  respectfully, 

"Henry  Morton." 

"There,  now,"  cried  Tom  exultingly,  as  his  sister 
finished  reading  the  attorney's  letter,  "didn't  I  tell 
you  he  'd  left  us  a  farm  1 ' ' 

"  It 's  too  good  to  be  true, ' '  exclaimed  Kitty.  ' '  To 
think  that  we  won't  have  to  work  in  those  stuffy, 
horrid  old  offices  any  more,  but  can  have  a  real  home 
of  our  own,  with  fresh  outdoors  air  and  fruit  and 
chickens  and  eggs  and  everything." 

"Well,  we  haven't  got  them  to  eat  now,  and  I'm 
hungry,"  remarked  her  brother,  "so  let's  have  sup- 
per and  we'll  talk  it  over  while  we  eat." 

"But  where  is  Ridgelea  Farm?"  asked  Kitty,  as 
she  poured  the  coffee.    "I  never  knew  Uncle  Abner 


A    MYSTERIOUS    LEGACY  & 

had  a  farm.  And  what  do  you  suppose  Mr.  Morton 
means  by  that  package  of  papers?" 

" Search  me,"  answered  Tom.  " Morton  can  no 
doubt  tell  us  where  the  farm  is,  but  I  don 't  know  any 
more  about  the  package  than  you  do.  Perhaps  he 
left  the  farm  to  us  with  a  string  tied  to  it — takes  it 
away  again  in  a  year,  or  something  of  that  sort." 

"I  can't  believe  he'd  do  anything  as  mean  as 
that,"  cried  Kitty.  "After  letting  us  live  there  for 
a  whole  year  it  would  be  a  terrible  blow  to  have  to 
give  it  up.  Why,  I'd  rather  not  take  the  farm  at 
all." 

"Don't  you  believe  he'd  not  be  that  mean,"  said 
Tom.  "Uncle  Abner  would  just  gloat  over  such  a 
trick.  He'd  think  it  a  huge  joke.  Eemember  the 
time  I  asked  him  to  pay  your  expenses  for  a  trip 
south,  when  you  were  all  tired  out  with  work,  and 
how  he  wrote  back  and  said  hard  work  never  hurt 
anyone  yet,  and  if  you  weren't  able  to  pay  for  your 
own  fun  you'd  better  stay  home  and  work  harder. 
He  never  wanted  for  anything  himself,  though." 

"Oh,  you  mustn't  talk  that  way  about  him,  Tom, 
now  he's  dead,"  expostulated  Kitty.  "Besides,  he 
worked  hard  himself,  you  know,  when  he  was  young. 
Mother  often  used  to  say  that  he  was  soured  against 


4  UNCLE    ABNER'S    LEGACY 

the  whole  world  because  he  had  such  a  hard  life  in 
his  youth." 

"Well,  I  never  liked  him  when  he  was  alive,  and  I 
don't  like  him  any  better  dead — except  for  leaving 
us  the  farm.  I  don't  care  if  he  did  have  to  work 
hard.  He  ought  to  have  felt  all  the  more  sympathy 
for  us  then." 

To  Tom  and  Kitty  Manville  the  news  that  their 
Uncle  Abner  had  remembered  them  in  his  will  was 
almost  unbelievable.  Ever  since  their  parents  had 
been  lost  on  the  Titanic  they  had  been  thrown  on 
their  own  resources,  and  for  several  years  had  been 
supporting  themselves — Tom  as  confidential  clerk, 
and  Kitty  as  stenographer  in  the  office  of  Mr.  Gray- 
son, who  had  been  a  friend  of  their  father.  Their 
Uncle  Abner,  a  crusty,  eccentric  old  man,  had  never 
offered  to  help,  and  when,  on  one  or  two  occasions, 
Tom  had  swallowed  his  pride  and  had  appealed  to 
his  uncle  for  aid  in  time  of  sickness  or  trouble,  the 
only  response  had  been  brief,  caustic  notes. 

"I  wonder  who  he  left  all  the  rest  of  his  property 
to?"  mused  Kitty,  as  she  cleared  the  table.  "He 
must  have  been  very  rich." 

"Some  pet  charity,  probably,  or  some  church.  I 
don't  care,  as  long  as  he  gave  us  the  farm.  But,  I 
say,  Kit,  won't  it  be  fun,  raising  vegetables  and 


A    MYSTERIOUS    LEGACY  5 

chickens,  and  having  cows  and  horses  and  everything 
else  to  look  after  1 ' ' 

"I  can't  think  of  anything  better,"  agreed  Kitty. 
"But  honestly,  Tom,  how  are  we  going  to  begin? 
We  don't  know  anything  about  farming,  you  know." 

"Don't  we  though?"  replied  her  brother.  "I 
know  how  to  milk  a  cow,  and  I  can  plow  and  mow 
grass  and  hoe  potatoes,  and  I'll  bet  you  can  make 
cream  and  butter  and  cheese  if  you  try.  I  learned  a 
lot  about  farming  when  I  was  visiting  Fred  Barton 
last  summer.  His  sister  makes  all  their  butter  and 
stuff,  and  you're  twice  as  smart  as  she  is." 

"Perhaps  it  isn't  a  very  big  farm,  and  we  can 
learn  as  we  go  along,"  remarked  Kitty.  "But 
we'll  surely  need  money  to  live  on  at  first.  It's  fall 
now,  you  know,  and  we  can't  raise  vegetables  and 
such  things. ' ' 

"Perhaps  the  place  already  has  things  growing 
on  it,"  suggested  Tom.  "We  can't  tell  until  we  see 
Morton.  Besides,  we've  money  in  the  bank  that  we 
can  use  if  we  have  to.  I'm  going  to  tell  Mr.  Gray- 
son to-morrow  that  I'll  give  up  my  job  this  week, 
anyhow." 

"I  wouldn't  do  it  just  yet,"  admonished  his  sister. 
"Why  not  wait  and  see  the  farm  and  find  out  all 


6  UNCLE    ABNER'S    LEGACY 

about  it  first  1  We  may  find  it 's  better  to  work  this 
winter  and  move  to  the  farm  in  the  spring." 

"I'll  tell  you  what,"  exclaimed  Tom,  "let's  go  to 
the  library  and  read  all  the  books  we  can  find  about 
farms.  There  must  be  some,  I'm  sure.  Nowadays 
one  can  learn  almost  anything  from  books." 

This  seemed  an  excellent  plan,  and  the  two  lost  no 
time  in  walking  to  the  public  library,  where  they 
were  soon  busily  searching  the  shelves  devoted  to 
books  on  gardening,  agriculture  and  farm  life. 

"My,  but  there  are  lots  of  books,"  remarked  Tom. 
1 '  I  never  knew  so  much  could  be  written  about  such 
a  simple  thing  as  farming." 

"It  isn't  half  as  simple  as  you  think,"  replied 
Kitty  sagely.  "I  know  by  the  contents  of  the  books 
that  there's  a  great  deal  to  learn.  But  I  don't  see 
how  we  can  tell  which  books  to  read  first. ' ' 

1 1  Hello ! ' '  exclaimed  her  brother.  ' '  Here 's  a  book 
that  just  suits  our  case.  It's  about  raising  things 
for  profit,  and  there's  a  heap  about  what  boys  have 
done  in  it." 

"We'll  start  on  that,  then,"  declared  Kitty,  "and 
we'll  take  this  one  home,  too.  It's  about  raising 
chickens. ' ' 

Armed  with  the  two  volumes  they  returned  to 
their  rooms  and  spent  the  rest  of  the  evening  poring 


A    MYSTERIOUS    LEGACY  7 

over  the  books.  At  first  Tom  was  inclined  to  con- 
sider his  book  uninteresting,  but  after  a  time  re- 
marked: "What  we  don't  know  would  make  a  big- 
ger book  than  this,"  adding  a  little  later  that  "if 
farmers  have  to  remember  all  these  things  I  should 
think  they'd  go  crazy."  Not  until  he  had  finished 
the  book  did  he  lay  it  aside  and,  yawning,  exclaimed : 
"Well,  I  hope  our  farm  isn't  very  big.  I  guess 
you're  right,  Kit,  and  we'd  better  go  easy  at  first," 
while  his  sister  declared  that  she'd  dream  of  incu- 
bators, chicken  foods  and  hen-coops  all  night. 

Tom  was  for  going  to  Mr.  Morton's  office  the  first 
thing  in  the  morning,  but  Kitty  insisted  that  they 
should  first  visit  the  office  where  they  were  em- 
ployed and  secure  leave  of  absence  for  the  day. 

"We  mustn't  burn  our  bridges  behind  us,  even  if 
we  have  been  left  a  farm,"  she  explained.  "I'm 
sure  Mr.  Grayson  will  let  us  have  the  day  if  we  show 
him  the  letter,  and  then  we  '11  have  a  chance  to  look 
up  the  farm  and  see  Mr.  Morton  also." 

Tom  laughed.  "You  don't  even  know  where  the 
farm  is,"  he  remarked;  "for  all  we  can  tell  it  may 
be  out  West,  or  down  South,  or  miles  and  miles 
away.  But  I  don't  mind  asking  Grayson  if  you 
think  best." 

Mr.  Grayson  gladly  gave  his  consent  and  wished 


8  UNCLE    ABNER'S    LEGACY 

them  the  best  of  luck,  adding  half  jokingly  that  when 
they  had  things  going  well  they  could  count  on  him 
for  a  customer. 

They  found  Mr.  Morton  a  thin,  gray-haired,  old 
gentleman,  with  a  merry  twinkle  in  his  pale  gray 
eyes,  but  he  could  give  them  very  little  information. 

"No,  my  boy,"  he  replied  to  Tom's  queries,  "I 
cannot  divulge  the  character  of  the  papers  which  I 
mentioned — in  fact,  I  do  not  know  their  contents  my- 
self. The  will  merely  states  that  the  papers  are  to 
be  held  in  trust  by  me  until  one  year  from  the  date 
upon  which  you  take  possession  of  the  property,  and 
upon  that  date  they  shall  be  opened  and  read  in  your 
presence,  and  that  under  certain  conditions,  which 
will  be  thus  revealed,  the  package  shall  be  delivered 
to  you." 

"I  suppose  it's  some  sort  of  a  practical  joke," 
mused  Tom.  "But  if  we  can't  solve  the  mystery, 
we  can't.  Can  you  tell  us  anything  about  the 
farm?" 

"Ridgelea  Farm,"  replied  Mr.  Morton,  "is  de- 
scribed as  '100  acres,  more  or  less,  of  tillable  land, 
lying  in  the  Town  of  Manchester,  near  the  Windsor 
line  and  fronting  for  300  feet  on  the  Enfield  road.' 
The  land  is  described  as  divided  between  cleared 
land  and  woodland,  and  the  buildings  mentioned  are 


A    MYSTERIOUS    LEGACY  9 

a  frame  dwelling  house,  a  barn  and  outbuildings." 

"That's  not  very  definite,"  remarked  Tom. 
"Where  is  the  Enfield  road  and  the  Town  of  Wind- 
sor, anyway?" 

"The  Windsor  trolley  line  will  carry  you  within 
three  miles  of  the  property,  I  believe,"  answered 
Mr.  Morton,  "and  no  doubt  any  of  the  residents  in 
the  vicinity  will  be  able  to  direct  you  to  Eidgelea 
Farm." 

"I  guess  we'd  better  have  a  look  at  it  to-day, 
then,"  said  Tom,  and,  thanking  Mr.  Morton  and 
pocketing  the  papers  and  keys,  brother  and  sister 
bade  the  attorney  good-bye  and  were  soon  on  the 
trolley-car. 

"Walk  straight  down  the  road  to  the  right  for  a 
mile  or  so  and  you'll  strike  the  Enfield  road,"  the 
conductor  informed  them,  as  they  alighted  far  out 
in  the  country,  amid  the  bare  brown  fields,  leafless 
trees  and  scattered  farmhouses. 

"It's  just  cold  enough  to  make  walking  a  pleas- 
ure," remarked  Kitty,  as  they  trudged  along  the 
muddy  road. 

"Well,  I'm  glad  it's  no  farther,"  said  Tom. 
"Three  miles  doesn't  sound  far,  but  /  think  it's 
pretty  cold  and  chilly." 

"Oh,  you're  too  easily  discouraged,"  laughed  his 


10       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

sister.  "You  can't  expect  to  have  summer  all  the 
year  'round.  I  think  this  air's  just  splendid,  and 
think  how  nice  it  would  be  to  come  into  a  cozy, 
cheery,  big  room,  and  sit  down  before  a  blazing  open 
fire  of  real  logs  and  drink  our  own  sweet  cider  and 
eat  our  own  big  juicy  apples." 

"That's  so,"  agreed  Tom.  "It  will  be  nice  to 
have  everything  of  our  own  and  feel  we  really  have 
a  home,  won't  it?" 

Chatting  and  laughing,  the  two  tramped  along 
and  very  soon  found  themselves  upon  the  broad 
Enfield  road. 

"I  wonder  which  way  we  go  now?"  said  Tom. 
"Let's  ask  at  this  house."  Suiting  his  actions  to 
his  words,  he  entered  the  dooryard  of  a  nearby  farm- 
house and  rapped  on  the  door. 

In  answer  to  his  summons  an  old  gray-bearded 
man  appeared,  smoking  a  corn-cob  pipe. 

"Ridgelea  Farm?"  he  answered  to  Tom's  ques- 
tion. "Down  ther  road  ter  yer  left  'bout  tew  miles. 
Ye  kin  tell  it  by  ther  house  bein'  brown  an'  by  er 
whoppin'  big  button-ball  tree  alongside  ther  road 
ter  ther  front  uv  it.  Ain't  ennybody  ter  hum, 
though.  Bin  shet  up  fer  er  couple  er  years  back. 
Thinkin'  on  buyin'  of  it?  No?  Well,  it's  fine  land; 
wisht  mine  wuz  as  good  b'gosh." 


A    MYSTERIOUS    LEGACY  11 

"The  place  has  been  left  to  us  by  a  relative  who 
recently  died,"  explained  Kitty,  "and  we've  come 
down  to  see  it.    Do  you  think  we'll  like  it?" 

"Don't  say!"  exclaimed  the  old  man.  "Wall, 
wall,  I'll  be  glad  ter  hev  ye  as  neighbors.  Place  is 
kinder  run  daown ;  needs  fixin '  up  er  bit.  If  Mandy 
was  ter  hum  I'd  trot  erlong  daown  with  ye,  but  I 
dassent  leave  ther  place  erlone.  There's  some 
pesky  thing  er  bilin'  over  on  ther  stove  now." 
Without  waiting  to  say  good-bye  he  shut  the  door 
and  hurried  away. 

"Isn't  he  a  queer  old  fellow ?"  laughed  Tom. 
"Regular  old  hayseed,  such  as  you  see  in  the  comic 
papers." 

"I  didn't  suppose  there  were  any  farmers  like 
that  so  near  town, ' '  remarked  Kitty,  as  they  turned 
to  the  left,  in  accordance  with  directions.  "But  I'm 
sure  he's  real  nice  and  kind.  Think  of  him  calling 
people  'neighbors'  that  live  two  miles  away." 

Along  this  portion  of  the  road  there  were  few 
houses  and  the  rolling  countryside  was  covered  with 
bare  fields  and  clumps  of  woodland.  A  mile  away 
on  one  side  stretched  a  range  of  forest-covered  hills, 
and  on  the  other  a  river  glistened  coldly  in  the 
autumn  air,  where  it  wound  in  great  curves  and 
bends  through  still  green  meadowland. 


12       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

"I'll  bet  there's  good  fishing  in  that  river  and 
hunting  in  those  hills,"  announced  Tom.  "When 
we're  living  here  I'll  spend  a  lot  of  my  time  tramp- 
ing about. ' ' 

"You'll  never  make  a  living  on  the  farm  if  you 
do,"  replied  Kitty.  "Even  a  small  farm  requires 
lots  of  attention.  But,  of  course,"  she  added  hast- 
ily, "you'll  be  able  to  hunt  in  the  winter  when  there 
isn't  much  to  be  done." 

"Seems  to  me  farming's  going  to  be  all  work  and 
no  play,"  said  Tom  rather  sulkily.  "I  thought  we'd 
be  able  to  have  a  good  time  without  working  con- 
tinually. ' ' 

"Well,  I  think  that  work  on  a  farm  would  be  just 
the  best  sort  of  fun,"  declared  his  sister.  "You'd 
work  twice  as  hard,  Tom,  tramping  all  day  in  the 
woods  just  for  the  sake  of  killing  a  poor,  harmless 
rabbit  or  partridge,  and  you'd  call  that  sport.  You 
know  I  love  to  have  you  enjoy  yourself,  but  I  never 
could  understand  why  it  was  necessary  to  make 
some  creature  suffer  in  order  to  have  a  good  time." 

"I  can't  honestly  say  that  I  know  why  it  is  my- 
self," admitted  Tom.  "I  guess,  after  all,  it's 
getting  out  in  the  woods  that's  the  real  fun.  I  al- 
ways have  just  as  good  a  time  when  I  don 't  kill  any 
game  or  catch  any  fish. ' ' 


A    MYSTERIOUS    LEGACY  13 

As  he  spoke  they  had  been  climbing  up  a  sharp 
rise  in  the  road,  and  as  they  reached  the  summit  of 
the  hill  and  looked  ahead  they  saw  a  large,  com- 
fortable house,  surrounded  by  shade  trees,  in  the 
little  valley  before  them. 

"What  a  lovely  place!"  exclaimed  Kitty.  "Just 
see  those  splendid  trees  and  those  broad  level  fields 
sweeping  away  to  the  river.  I'd  just  love  to  live  in 
a  place  like  that." 

"You  might  as  well  start  a  hotel  if  you  had  that 
big  house,"  said  Tom;  "but  it  certainly  is  a  fine 
place  I'll  admit." 

' l  Oh,  Tom,  I  really  believe  that 's  our  place ! ' '  cried 
Kitty  excitedly.  "It's  painted  brown,  and  there's 
a  big  tree  in  front  of  it.  Do  you  think  it's  a  'button- 
ball'?    What  is  a  'button-ball,'  anyway?" 

"I  don't  know,"  replied  her  brother.  "But  if 
that's  Eidgelea  Farm,  Uncle  Abner  certainly  did 
well  by  us.  That  place  must  be  worth  thousands  of 
dollars." 

They  hurried  down  the  hill  and  soon  reached  the 
driveway  to  the  house. 

"I  guess  you're  right,  Kit,"  said  Tom,  as  they 
stood  in  the  road  looking  at  the  extensive  grounds, 
the  stately  maples  and  the  fine  buildings.  "This  big 
tree  in  front  is  probably  the  button-ball  the  old 


14       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

farmer  mentioned,  and  the  house  surely  is  brown. 
I  don't  see  any  other  brown  house  except  that  tum- 
ble-down place  over  there,"  and  he  pointed  to  a 
small,  old-fashioned  house,  half -hidden  in  neglected 
shrubbery  and  trees,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  farther 
down  the  road. 

"Oh,  I  do  hope  so!"  cried  Kitty.  "Let's  go  in 
and  see.  If  there's  anyone  here  we'll  know  it's  the 
wrong  place,  and  if  not  we'll  try  the  keys  and  if 
they  fit  we'll  know  we're  right." 

1 '  Hold  on,  Kit ! ' '  exclaimed  Tom.  ' '  Here  comes  a 
farmer  in  a  cart.  Let's  ask  him  first.  We  don't 
want  to  go  exploring  the  wrong  place." 

At  Tom's  gesture  the  man  in  the  cart  came  to  a 
halt. 

"Is  this  Eidgelea  Farm?"  asked  Tom. 

"Nope,"  replied  the  farmer.  "Never  heerd  of  it 
bein'  called  that.  'The  Maples,'  I  b'leeve  they  call 
it.  B 'longs  to  some  rich  old  codger  down  ter  the 
city.  Never  lives  here,  though.  'Tain't  been  occer- 
pied  f er  three  years  to  my  knowin '.  All-fired  shame 
ter  own  a  place  like  this  'ere  and  not  make  nothin' 
off  en  it." 

"Where  is  Eidgelea  Farm,  then?"  demanded 
Tom.  "A  man  up  the  road  said  we'd  know  it  by  the 
brown  house  and  a  big  button-ball  tree  in  the  road 


A    MYSTERIOUS    LEGACY  15 

before  it.  This  house  is  brown  and  isn't  that  a  but- 
ton-ball tree  there?" 

The  farmer  gave  a  loud  guffaw.  " Button-ball?" 
he  cried.  ' '  Course  not.  That  'ere 's  a  black  walnut, 
an '  a  whoppin '  big  one,  too.  Dunno  no  place  named 
Eidgelea  Farm,  but  there 's  a  place  down  the  road  a 
bit  that's  brown  and  there's  a  button-ball  to  the 
front  of  it.  Eeckon  that's  the  place  yer  a-lookin' 
for."  Flicking  his  horse  with  the  whip  he  drove 
up  the  road. 

"I  knew  it  couldn't  be  true,"  declared  Tom. 
"Uncle  Ab.  would  never  have  left  us  such  a  nice 
place  as  this,  even  if  it  had  been  his  to  leave. ' ' 

"Perhaps  the  other  place  is  just  as  nice,  even  if 
it's  smaller,"  suggested  Kitty.  "Let's  hurry  along 
and  see  it. ' ' 

Very  different  from  The  Maples  was  the  little 
brown  house  with  the  button-ball  tree  before  it.  It 
was  small  and  squat,  the  veranda  sagged,  many  of 
the  window-panes  were  broken,  a  shutter  hung  by 
one  hinge  and  the  whole  house  appeared  forlorn, 
dilapidated  and  neglected.  Between  the  road  and 
the  house  was  a  small  dooryard  choked  with  neg- 
lected, untrimmed  shrubbery,  dead  weed-stalks  and 
unkempt  trees,  while  the  fence  which  separated  it 
from  the  highway  was  broken  and  the  gate  was  stuck 


16       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

halfway  open.  Behind  the  house  was  an  ancient, 
weather-beaten  barn,  leaning  drnnkenly  askew  and 
stretching  back  to  some  heavy  woods  in  the  rear 
were  fields  overgrown  with  long-neglected,  sere, 
brown  grass. 

"Oh,  Tom,  isn't  it  lonesome  and  forlorn!"  cried 
Kitty. 

"It's  just  about  what  I'd  expect  from  Uncle  Ab- 
ner,"  said  Tom  bitterly. 

"And  to  think  how  we'd  planned  to  have  a  snug 
little  home.  Imagine  trying  to  make  that  old  place 
homelike." 

"I  suppose  we  might  try  to  sell  it,"  remarked 
Tom.  "Bad  as  it  is  the  land  must  be  worth  some- 
thing.   The  old  farmer  said  'twas  good  land." 

"Oh,  dear,  I  can't  tell  how  disappointed  I  am," 
declared  Kitty.  "After  counting  so  much  on  having 
our  own  things  and  being  so  happy  I  never  will  be 
able  to  face  Mr.  Grayson  and  the  girls  in  the  office 
again.  And  we've  had  all  this  long  walk  for  noth- 
ing." 


CHAPTER  n 
A    FRIEND    IN    NEED 

"Don't  take  it  to  heart  so,  Kit,"  cried  Tom. 
" After  all  it  doesn't  make  any  real  difference.  We 
can  sell  the  old  place  and  take  a  nice  vacation  with 
the  money.  Besides,  we  might  not  like  farm  life, 
anyway.  Come,  cheer  up,  Sis.  It  isn't  worth  fuss- 
ing over." 

He  was  busy  trying  to  comfort  her  when  they 
heard  the  hum  of  an  automobile  and  turned  to  see 
a  small  touring  car  approaching. 

The  machine  came  to  a  stop,  and  the  only  occu- 
pant, a  young  man,  stepped  out  and  approached 
them. 

" Good-afternoon, "  he  exclaimed.  "Are  you  not 
Tom  and  Kitty  Manville?" 

"Why,  yes,"  replied  Tom  in  surprise,  "but " 

"Then  let  me  introduce  myself,"  interrupted  the 

stranger.     "I'm  your  cousin,  Ralph  Selwin — your 

Uncle  Abner's  stepson — and  you're  just  the  ones 

I'm  looking  for." 

17 


18       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

"We're  awfully  glad  to  know  you,  Cousin  Ralph," 
declared  Tom,  extending  his  hand.  "Mother  used 
to  speak  of  you,  but  she  said  you  were  always  trav- 
eling in  out-of-the-way  places.  We  never  expected 
to  meet  you.  How  on  earth  did  you  recognize  us, 
and  why  were  you  trying  to  find  us  f " 

"I'll  try  to  explain  in  as  few  words  as  possible," 
said  Selwin.  "Your  uncle  and  myself  never  agreed 
very  well.  He  thought  me  impractical  and  disap- 
proved of  my  earning  a  livelihood  with  my  pen.  He 
had  the  greatest  contempt  for  what  he  termed  'book 
learning,'  and  especially  detested  my  modern  ideas 
and  scientific  theories  on  agriculture.  He  was 
reared  on  a  farm,  and  believed  only  in  hard  manual 
work  and  old-fashioned  methods  for  everything. 

"Recently  I  returned  after  a  long  absence  and 
found  my  stepfather  had  died  and  had  left  you  this 
farm,  which  seems  to  have  been  about  all  he  had 
remaining,  although  everyone  thought  him  a  wealthy 
man." 

"Didn't  he  leave  you  anything!"  asked  Kitty. 

"Not  a  cent,  apparently,"  laughed  Ralph.  "I 
didn't  expect  anything,  for  he  knew  I  wasn't  de- 
pendent upon  him.  But  he  did  leave  me  a  note,  in 
which  he  said  that  if  I  wanted  to  put  my  idiotic  the- 
ories into  practice  I  now  had  the  opportunity,  as 


A    FRIEND    IN    NEED  19 

he'd  left  Ridgelea  Farm  to  'two  kids,'  who'd  no 
doubt  be  foolish  enough  to  let  me  experiment  with 
their  property.  He  also  added  that  I  couldn't  spoil 
the  place  anyway,  and  that  if  I  succeeded  he'd  ac- 
knowledge he  was  wrong — though  how  he  expected 
to  admit  it  after  he  was  dead  and  gone  is  a  puzzle 
to  me.  At  any  rate,  that's  why  I'm  here — to  offer 
my  services  to  aid  in  making  your  farm  a  success. 
I've  no  doubt  he  felt  sure  you'd  fail  and  give  up  in 
despair.  I  went  to  Morton,  and  he  told  me  you  were 
out  here,  so  I  came  right  along.  You'll  let  me  help, 
won't  you,  and  we'll  turn  the  tables  on  the  old  gen- 
tleman yet." 

"It's  perfectly  lovely  of  you  to  do  this,"  declared 
Kitty,  "but  the  farm  looks  too  hopeless." 

"Yes,"  added  Tom.  "Don't  you  think,  now  you 
see  the  place,  that  we'd  better  sell  it  for  what  we 
can  get  and  not  try  to  do  anything  with  it?" 

"Not  a  bit  of  it,"  cried  Selwin.  "No  farm  is 
hopeless.  Why,  you  haven't  even  looked  over  the 
place  yet.  Perhaps  it  isn't  really  half  as  bad  as 
you  think.  It  looks  run  down,  I  admit,  but  that's  of 
little  importance.  If  the  land  is  good  and  the  house 
habitable  you  may  find  the  farm  all  you  expected. 
I've  seen  many  a  worse  place  than  this  rejuvenated 
and  made  into  a  fine  property  by  a  little  hard  work, 


20       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

common  sense  and  intelligent  operation.  Suppose 
we  go  through  the  house  and  look  over  the  place? 
I  may  be  able  to  help  you  with  suggestions." 

He  was  so  cheerful  and  friendly  and  his  tone  was 
so  optimistic  that  Tom  and  Kitty  felt  quite  relieved, 
and  decided  that  possibly  the  farm  might  not  be 
hopeless  after  all,  and  together  the  three  walked 
up  the  weed-grown  path  to  the  front  door.  The 
interior  of  the  house  smelled  damp  and  close,  but 
the  plastering  and  woodwork  appeared  in  good  con- 
dition. 

"I  don't  think  the  roof  leaks,"  announced  their 
cousin.  ' '  Of  course, ' '  he  continued, ' '  some  rain  has 
driven  in  through  the  broken  windows  and  the  rooms 
require  cleaning  and  repainting  but  it's  a  finely  built 
house.  Just  notice  the  size  of  those  timbers. 
They're  hewn  oak  and  will  last  forever  almost.  This 
place  is  very  old,  for  the  timbers  are  all  pegged 
together,  but  it's  still  solid  and  with  ordinary  care 
will  outlast  any  of  the  modern  houses  in  the  neigh- 
borhood. Why  this  old  place  can  be  made  into  the 
coziest,  most  comfortable  little  home  you  can  imag- 
ine. Get  a  big  blazing  fire  in  the  open  fire-place 
in  the  living  room,  pretty  curtains  on  the  windows, 
carpets  and  rugs  on  the  floors  and  you'll  never 
recognize  the  place.     Of  course  you'll  need  some 


A    FRIEND    IN    NEED  21 

furniture  but  some  of  the  old  things  here  are  splen- 
did. "Why  that  big  table  and  sideboard  are  solid 
mahogany  and  some  of  those  broken-down  chairs 
in  the  lumber  room  could  be  repaired  so  they'd  be 
the  envy  of  many  a  millionaire.  I  tell  you,  my  boy, 
I  wouldn't  trade  this  old  homestead  for  half  a  dozen 
of  'The  Maples'  you  admired  so  much." 

He  was  so  enthusiastic  that  Tom  and  Kitty  both 
laughed  and  forgot  their  disappointment  as  he 
pointed  out  first  one  thing  and  then  another  and 
dilated  upon  their  possibilities. 

"But  all  that  will  cost  a  lot  of  money,"  objected 
Tom ;  ' '  and  we  Ve  only  a  little  in  the  bank  and  if  we 
spend  our  time  fixing  this  place  up  we  can't  work 
and  earn  more." 

"That's  true,"  replied  Ralph.  "Now  let's  see 
how  that  can  be  managed.  Possibly  the  farm  has 
some  resources  even  if  it  has  been  deserted  and 
there  are  no  crops  on  hand.  Let's  take  a  stroll 
over  the  place.  If  your  sister's  too  tired  she  can 
rest  here  until  we  return. ' ' 

"No  indeed,"  declared  Kitty.  "I'm  not  tired 
now  and  I'd  enjoy  going  over  the  place  too." 

Their  first  visit  was  to  the  barn  and  outbuildings. 

"Not  much  here,"  announced  Tom  as  they  peered 


22       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

into  the  big,  dim  interior.  "Must  leak  like  a  sieve 
too.    Look  at  those  holes  in  the  roof." 

"Yes,  it  leaks  all  right,"  agreed  his  cousin,  "but 
the  timbers  seem  sound  and  the  roof  can  be  repaired 
and  the  foundation  leveled  up.  Ah,  here  are  some 
farming  tools.  They're  a  bit  rusty  but  I  guess  they 
can  be  made  fit  for  use. ' ' 

The  hen-coops,  pigsty,  cow-sheds  and  other 
buildings  were  in  bad  shape  and  were  dismissed  with 
a  glance  and  the  three  then  started  on  a  tour  of 
the  grounds. 

"The  land  must  be  good,"  declared  Selwin, 
"judging  by  the  growth  of  grass  and  weeds.  The 
orchard  needs  pruning  and  clearing  but  most  of  the 
trees  appear  healthy  and  many  of  them  are  grafted. 
You've  a  good  well  and  unless  I'm  mistaken  there's 
a  little  brook  near  the  edge  of  the  woods.  We'll  take 
a  stroll  over  there  if  you  don't  mind." 

"How  on  earth  did  you  know  there  was  a  brook 
here?"  asked  Tom  as  they  stood  upon  a  tiny  bridge 
that  spanned  a  sparkling  little  stream  at  the  edge 
of  the  woods. 

1 '  Just  by  the  '  lay  of  the  land '  as  a  farmer  'd  say, ' ' 
laughed  the  other.  "And  you're  lucky  too,"  he 
added.     "This  is  a  splendid  trout  brook  and  you 


A    FRIEND    IN    NEED  23 

can  have  fine  fishing  and  the  best  of  fresh  brook 
trout  on  your  own  property." 

They  had  now  entered  an  old  wood  road  that  led 
through  a  dense  growth  of  young  chestnut,  oak, 
hickory  and  maple  with  numerous  huge  trees  tower- 
ing here  and  there  far  above  their  fellows. 

"I  have  it,"  cried  Ealph,  clapping  Tom  on  the 
back.  "Here's  your  bank  account.  YouVe  enough 
money  right  here  to  make  all  the  changes  and  re- 
pairs required  on  the  house  and  to  keep  you  going 
until  spring  in  addition." 

"I  don't  see  how,"  said  Tom  in  a  perplexed  tone. 

" Don't  see  how?"  exclaimed  his  cousin.  "Why, 
boy,  you've  over  fifty  acres  of  standing  timber  here, 
and  mostly  hard  wood  at  that.  The  woods  need 
cleaning  up  badly  and  you  can  sell  the  right  to  cut 
firewood  and  get  your  timber  land  in  proper  shape 
and  secure  a  tidy  little  sum  at  the  same  time. ' ' 

"You  don't  mean  to  say  that  anybody's  going  to 
pay  me  for  letting  them  chop  wood  and  cart  it  away 
from  here,"  cried  Tom. 

"Of  course,"  replied  his  cousin.  "Firewood's 
worth  $4  to  $5  a  cord  standing  and  you  've  hundreds 
of  cords  here,  which  can  be  cut  without  making  any 
impression, — just  enough  to  thin  out  the  growth  and 
give  the  other  trees  room  to  grow.    If  you  reserve 


24       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

all  the  big  trees  and  nut-bearing  trees  they'll  bring 
you  a  good  income  later  and  the  brush  and  trim- 
mings will  keep  you  in  firewood  all  winter.  When 
you  make  the  sale  stipulate  that  ten  or  fifteen  cords 
are  delivered  to  you  as  part  of  the  bargain." 

"Isn't  that  fine?"  cried  Kitty.  "How  silly  we 
were  to  be  so  easily  discouraged.  But  you  see  we 
didn't  know  anything  about  such  matters.  We'd 
never  in  the  world  have  thought  of  making  money 
from  these  woods." 

1 '  Of  course  not, ' '  agreed  Ealph.  ' '  But  you  '11  soon 
learn  all  about  the  resources  of  the  farm.  I'm  ever 
so  glad  I  arrived  in  time  to  encourage  you. ' ' 

"We  can't  thank  you  enough,  Cousin  Ralph,"  de- 
clared the  girl.  "You've  made  us  see  what  can  be 
accomplished  right  away  and  I'm  sure  you  could 
transform  it  into  a  splendid  place,  but  we're  so 
ignorant  of  everything  connected  with  farm  life  that 
I  'm  afraid  we  '11  never  succeed. ' ' 

"It's  just  a  pleasure  to  me,"  he  replied.  "I 
couldn't  ask  for  anything  better  than  thinking  up 
ways  and  means  of  rejuvenating  this  old  property 
and  making  it  the  envy  of  the  countryside.  Don't 
you  fret  about  succeeding.  I'll  give  you  all  the 
help  I  can  and  with  the  aid  of  books,  your  brother's 


A  dense  growth  with  numerous  large  trees 


A   FRIEND    IN    NEED  25 

common  sense  and  your  own  good  taste  and  clever- 
ness we'll  be  able  to  work  wonders." 

It  was  now  dusk  and  as  nothing  more  could  be 
done  or  seen  Selwin  led  bis  two  cousins  to  bis  car, 
bundled  Kitty  up  in  tbe  robes  and  in  a  few  moments 
tbey  were  speeding  towards  town. 

As  tbey  whirled  homewards  the  conversation  was 
all  of  the  farm  and  plans  for  its  future. 

"I'll  be  glad  to  help  you  find  a  purchaser  for  the 
wood,"  announced  Ealph,  "and  if  you  wish  I'll  take 
you  around  to  some  wood  dealers  to-morrow." 

' ' That's  awfully  good  of  you,"  declared  Tom. 
"I  wouldn't  know  where  to  go  or  how  to  go  about 
it  but  we  '11  have  to  go  to  the  office  to-morrow. ' ' 

"To-morrow's  Saturday  and  you'll  have  half  a 
day  off,"  replied  Selwin. 

"Of  course  it's  none  of  my  affair,"  he  added, 
"but  my  advice  would  be  to  give  up  your  office 
work.  You'll  hardly  need  the  money  it  brings  in 
and  you'll  have  enough  to  keep  you  fully  occupied 
if  you  expect  to  take  possession  of  the  farm  before 
real  cold  weather  sets  in.  I'll  be  around  at  two 
and  if  everything  goes  as  well  as  I  expect  there's 
no  reason  why  you  shouldn't  be  living  at  Eidgelea 
Farm  in  a  week." 

"Isn't  he  just  splendid*?"  cried  Kitty  as  she  and 


26       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

Tom  entered  the  house  after  watching  Ralph  out  of 
sight. 

"He's  a  regular  brick,"  agreed  her  brother. 

"It  seems  as  if  we'd  known  him  for  years,"  she 
continued.  "He's  so  friendly  and  enthusiastic  and 
capable  and  he  seems  just  as  much  interested  in  the 
farm  as  we  are." 

"I've  never  seen  any  fellow  I  liked  better,"  de- 
clared Tom, ' '  and  he  certainly  is  a  hustler. ' ' 

"And  only  think,  Tom,"  exclaimed  Kitty,  "if  he 
hadn't  come  along  we'd  have  sold  the  farm  for  a 
song  probably  and  would  have  gone  on  working 
in  the  office  forever  and  now  we'll  be  living  in  our 
own  home  in  a  week.  It's  like  having  a  fairy  god- 
mother almost." 

"A  fairy  cousin  I  should  say,"  replied  Tom. 

"But  after  all  if  Uncle  Abner  hadn't  left  us  the 

farm  Cousin  Ralph  wouldn't  have  looked  us  up,  so 

"uncle  must  be  given  the  credit  for  finding  us  a  new 

relative  as  well  as  remembering  us  in  his  will." 

Kitty  laughed.  "Isn't  it  funny  to  think  of  willing 
one  a  cousin,"  she  cried,  "and  yet  that's  really  what 
happened.  I  wonder  if  Uncle  Ab  did  it  on  pur- 
pose?" 

' '  Nobody  can  tell,  I  guess, ' '  replied  Tom.  ' '  Uncle 
Abner  was  always  a  queer  old  fellow  and  his  will 


A    FRIEND    IN    NEED  27 

seems  to  have  been  as  queer  as  himself.  First  he 
gives  us  a  deserted,  broken-down  farm  and  some 
mysterious  package  and  then  he  arranges  things  so 
a  cousin  we've  never  known  bobs  up,  and  on  top 
of  it  all  he  talks  about  admitting  he's  wrong  after 
he's  dead.    It's  too  much  for  me  and  I  give  it  up." 

"I  think  we  should  be  very  grateful  to  him 
anyway,"  said  Kitty,  "and  I  don't  see  how  we'll 
ever  get  along  without  Cousin  Ealph  after  he  goes 
home. ' ' 

"That's  so,"  exclaimed  Tom.  "I'd  forgotten  he 
wouldn't  be  here  always.  I  say,  Kit!  I've  an  idea. 
Why  not  ask  him  to  come  and  live  at  the  farm  with 
us?" 


CHAPTER  III 
WAYS    AND    MEANS 

The  visit  to  the  wood  dealer  more  than  fulfilled 
expectations  and  at  Selwin's  suggestion  a  represen- 
tative accompanied  the  party  to  the  farm  to  estimate 
the  amount  of  available  wood  and  to  receive  detailed 
directions  as  to  cutting  the  timber. 

He  agreed  to  leave  all  bearing  nut-trees  standing 
and  to  fell  only  those  trees  which  were  eight  inches 
to  sixteen  inches  in  diameter  and  was  quite  willing 
to  deliver  fifteen  cords  of  firewood  at  the  farm  for 
Tom's  use. 

By  Monday  noon  the  contracts  were  signed  and 
a  good-sized  sum  was  deposited  to  Tom's  account 
in  the  bank  as  an  advance  payment. 

Painters  and  carpenters  were  sent  to  the  farm, 
Kitty  busied  herself  selecting  rugs,  window  curtains 
and  household  utensils,  necessary  furnishings  were 
purchased  and  by  the  middle  of  the  week  the  house 
had  been  completely  transformed. 

"If  you're  going  to  make  a  success  of  farming 

28 


WAYS    AND    MEANS  29 

you'll  have  to  work  on  business  lines,"  declared 
Selwin  during  the  course  of  a  conversation.  "Keep 
strict  accounts  of  expenditures  and  receipts  and 
leave  nothing  to  guesswork.  Your  training  in  office 
work  will  make  this  come  easy  and  naturally  and 
I  would  suggest  that  Kitty  have  charge  of  the 
books." 

This  excellent  advice  was  followed  and  each  even- 
ing Kitty  went  over  the  accounts  and  balances  with 
care. 

Tom  spent  most  of  his  time  at  the  farm  watching 
the  workmen,  lending  a  helping  hand  here  and  there 
and  clearing  up  the  neglected  garden  and  shrubbery 
while  Cousin  Ealph  was  here,  there  and  everywhere 
advising,  helping  and  instructing. 

"One  of  the  first  things  you'll  need  is  a  horse 
and  wagon,"  he  remarked  on  one  occasion.  "But 
until  you  have  the  barn  fixed  up  and  ready  for  use 
you  can't  keep  it  and  I  should  advise  making  that 
your  first  work  after  moving  to  the  farm." 

"Wouldn't  it  be  better  to  get  an  automobile1?" 
asked  Tom.  "We  haven't  any  food  for  the  horse 
and  we  could  get  a  second-hand  car  very  cheap. ' ' 

"A  machine  would  be  just  as  useful  in  some 
ways,"  agreed  Selwin,  "but  during  the  winter  you'll 
find  a  horse  more  satisfactory  than  the  car  and 


30       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

you'll  need  him  for  plowing  and  farm  work  in 
the  spring.  An  automobile  is  extremely  valuable 
in  farm  work  and  later  on  I'd  certainly  advise  hav- 
ing one.  For  the  present,  however,  a  horse  is  more 
essential." 

With  the  help  of  the  carpenters  Tom  had  repaired 
the  chicken-coops  and  had  whitewashed  them  inside 
and  out  and  had  purchased  a  dozen  hens  from  the 
old  farmer  at  the  crossroads. 

The  old  man  frequently  appeared  at  Eidgelea 
while  the  work  was  progressing  and  Tom  and  he 
became  fast  friends.  While  the  old  man's  ideas 
were  far  from  modern  he  had  a  deal  of  practical 
common  sense  and  made  numerous  suggestions 
which  Tom  found  of  real  value. 

"When  ye  git  moved  in,"  remarked  " Grand 'ther 
Joe,"  as  Kitty  called  him,  "I'll  git  the  neighbors 
tergether  an'  lend  a  hand  ter  fix  up  ther  barn.  Don't 
suppose  ye  city  folks  has  no  idee  erbout  sich  things. 
Bill  Akers,  over  ter  ther  mill  at  ther  corners,  kin 
sell  ye  hay  an'  feed  an'  I'll  haul  it  ter  ye  arter  the 
barn's  fixed  up.  Ef  yer  need  a  horse  an'  kerridge 
afore  then  I  '11  lend  ye  mine.  Got  ter  be  neighborly- 
like  in  ther  country,  ye  know,"  and  the  old  man 
chuckled  good-naturedly. 

"Isn't  it  strange  how  friendly  all  those  farmers 


WAYS    AND    MEANS  31 

are?"  remarked  Kitty  to  Ealph  one  evening  as 
they  drove  home  from  the  farm  which  was  now 
nearly  ready  for  occupancy.  "Why  even  Mr.  Grant 
— the  man  who  laughed  at  our  mistaking  a  black 
walnut  for  a  button-ball  tree — stopped  to-day  as  he 
passed  by  and  wanted  to  know  if  he  couldn  't  do  any 
messages  for  us." 

"They  always  are  a  good-hearted  lot,  ready  to 
lend  a  helping  hand,"  replied  Ealph.  "It's  only  in 
the  cities  that  men  grow  hard  and  unfeeling  and 
care  nothing  about  their  neighbors'  troubles  and 
struggles.  The  longer  you  live  on  the  farm  the  more 
you'll  appreciate  what  real  friendship  means." 

"It  doesn't  seem  possible  that  only  a  week  ago 
we  first  saw  the  old  place,"  remarked  Tom.  "I 
wouldn't  have  believed  it  possible  so  much  could 
be  accomplished  in  six  days. ' ' 

"And  to  think  we're  really  to  move  out  there 
to-morrow,"  cried  Kitty.  "I  can  hardly  believe  it. 
And  it's  all  due  to  you,  Cousin  Ralph." 

"No,  it  isn't,"  replied  Selwin,  laughing.  "You 
must  thank  your  Uncle  Abner  first  for  leaving  you 
the  farm." 

"But  we'd  never  have  thought  it  worth  fixing  up 
unless  you'd  told  us  and  we'd  have  been  perfectly 


32       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

helpless  even  then  without  your  help.  I  don't  know 
how  we'll  ever  get  along  after  we're  settled." 

"0  you're  not  going  to  lose  me  as  easily  as  all 
that,"  Ealph  assured  her.  "As  I'm  partially  re- 
sponsible for  your  venture  I  don't  intend  to  desert 
the  helm  after  you're  launched.  I  expect  to  see 
you  often  and  to  have  many  enjoyable  hours  at 
your  farm." 

"That  will  be  fine,"  declared  Tom.  "But  why 
can't  you  come  and  live  at  the  farm  all  the  time? 
We've  talked  it  over  and  we'd  both  love  to  have 
you. ' ' 

"Why  I  can  if  you  really  want  me,"  replied 
Ralph.  ' '  But  are  you  sure  you  won 't  find  me  a  nui- 
sance and  trouble?  Don't  forget  I  have  a  good 
healthy  appetite,  Kitty." 

"If  you  can  stand  my  cooking  I  can  endure  your 
appetite,"  replied  Kitty,  laughing.  "And  it  will 
be  ever  so  much  nicer  to  have  you  here.  Now  won't 
you  promise  to  move  out  to-morrow  and  be  with 
us  at  the  first  meal  we  eat  in  our  own  home?" 

"I'll  be  there  for  the  meal,"  replied  Ralph,  "but 
I'll  have  to  leave  you  for  a  time  to  straighten  up 
a  few  business  matters  before  I  can  make  my  home 
with  you. ' ' 

The  next  day  was  one  of  work  and  hustle  and  soon 


WAYS    AND    MEANS  33 

after  noon  Kitty  and  Tom  saw  all  their  belongings 
safely  in  the  farm  house  and  while  Tom  bustled  and 
hurried  to  get  things  in  their  places  his  sister  busied 
herself  in  the  kitchen  preparing  the  first  meal  in 
their  new  home.  She  had  a  natural  talent  for  cook- 
ing and  very  soon  savory  odors  filled  the  huge,  old- 
fashioned  kitchen  with  its  ceiling  of  dark,  hewn 
timbers.  Summoned  by  a  knock  on  the  kitchen  door, 
she  opened  it  to  find  Grand 'ther  Joe's  wife  Mandy 
with  a  great  covered  basket  on  her  arm. 

"Land  sakes !"  cried  the  apple-faced  little  woman, 
sniffing  the  air.  "If  it  don't  smell  real  homey  and 
comfy  already.  Well,  well,  I  never  'spected  to 
live  ter  see  the  old  place  occerpied  by  folks  ag'in. 
An'  to  think  yer  a-cookin'  already.  Land  sakes! 
I  didn't  s'pose  city  folks  ever  cooked  nothin'  an' 
I  says  to  Joe  says  I,  'Father,  I'm  a  go  in'  ter  take 
some  vittals  over  ter  them  young  folks.  I  know 
they  won't  hev  time  ter  cook  nor  nothin', — even 
s'posin'  she  knows  how — which  most  likely  she  don't 
— an'  they  must  be  hungry  as  bears,  what  with 
movin'  in  an'  gittin'  settled  and  all,  an'  so  I  come 
right  erlong  over  and  fetched  erlong  a  few  vittals 
fer  ye." 

"0  that's  lovely  of  you,"  cried  Kitty.  "I  just 
know  you've  been  to  a  lot  of  trouble  and  I  can't 


34       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

thank  you  enough.  Cousin  Ealph  is  coming  to  din- 
ner. You  see  it's  our  first  meal  here  and  we're 
going  to  celebrate  and  that's  why  I'm  trying  to 
cook  some  real  nice  things ;  but  I  know  yours  will  be 
ever  so  much  better.  Can't  you  and  Grand 'ther 
come  over  too  I ' ' 

11  Shucks,  no,"  exclaimed  Mandy.  ''I've  got  to 
run  erlong  home  and  look  arter  the  milk  and  cream 
and  sit  out  father's  supper.  We're  a  gittin'  too 
old  fer  sech  jinks  an'  like  ter  set  ter  hum  and  git 
to  bed  early. ' ' 

As  she  spoke  she  was  lifting  the  various  articles 
from  her  basket  and  placing  them  on  the  table  and 
Kitty  uttered  little  cries  of  admiration  and  surprise 
as  she  saw  the  golden-brown  pumpkin  pies,  the  jars 
of  preserves,  the  pats  of  home-made  butter,  the 
doughnuts  and  the  rosy  apples  that  Mandy  placed 
before  her.  Finally  the  last  article  was  brought 
forth  and  as  the  napkin  which  covered  it  was  re- 
moved a  plump,  roasted  chicken  was  revealed. 

"You  dear  Aunt  Mandy,"  cried  Kitty.  "I  do 
believe  you  suspected  Cousin  Ralph  was  coming  all 
the  time.  Why  you  've  brought  enough  to  feed  Tom 
and  myself  for  ages."  Flinging  her  arms  about  the 
little  old  lady  she  kissed  her  affectionately  on  both 
cheeks. 


WAYS    AND    MEANS  35 

At  this  moment  Tom  rushed  into  the  room.  "0 
Kit,"  he  cried,  "what  do  you  think,  the  hens  have 
laid  three  eggs."  Then,  catching  sight  of  the  array 
of  good  things  on  the  table,  he  stopped  short  in 

amazement.    "Where  in  the  world "  he  began 

and  then,  noticing  Aunt  Mandy,  exclaimed:  "0, 
that's  where  they  came  from!  I  say,  isn't  this 
bully?  Where's  Grand 'ther  Joe?  Aren't  you  two 
coming  over  to  help  eat  all  this  feast?" 

"Laws,  just  hear  the  boy,"  cried  Aunt  Mandy. 
"Why  I  ain't  brought  nothin'  but  a  few  vittles,  jest 
thought  ye'd  be  hungry-like  an'  'twould  save  ye 
the  trouble  of  cookin'.  I  got  ter  be  trottin'  along 
now." 

So  saying  she  popped  out  of  the  door. 

"Isn't  she  a  dear  old  soul?"  exclaimed  Kitty. 

"Yes,  but  look,  Kit,  our  hens  have  laid  eggs," 
persisted  Tom.  "See  here,  three  of  them."  He 
proudly  placed  the  eggs  on  the  table  beside  Aunt 
Mandy 's  offerings. 

"Then  we  really  will  have  something  from  our 
own  farm,"  cried  his  sister.  "And  on  the  first  day 
we've  lived  here.  I  know  Cousin  Ralph  will  think 
that's  splendid;  but  hurry  up,  Tom,  and  get  things 
in  order.  I'm  not  half  ready  for  him  yet  and  he's 
liable  to  come  any  minute." 


36       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

By  the  time  Balph  arrived  everything  was  ready 
and  the  three  sat  down  to  a  meal  which  marked 
an  epoch  in  their  lives. 

' '  It  certainly  looks  like  a  good  omen  to  have  your 
hens  lay  the  first  day  you  arrive,"  he  said  after 
Tom  had  told  him  of  the  event.  ' '  But  if  you  expect 
to  make  anything  from  your  hens  you  must  attend 
to  them  systematically,  feed  them  and  rear  them 
scientifically  and  see  to  every  detail  in  connection 
with  them  with  the  greatest  care.  Poultry  is  profit- 
able if  properly  raised  and  bred,  but  if  you  are 
to  succeed  with  it  you  must  follow  up-to-date,  scien- 
tific methods.  I  can  give  you  a  few  pointers  and 
you  can  secure  more  information  from  various  books 
and  from  the  pamphlets  published  by  the  United 
States  Department  of  Agriculture  which  are  dis- 
tributed gratis." 

"Why  I  didn't  know  the  government  bothered 
about  hens  and  such  things,"  exclaimed  Tom. 

"A  great  many  real  farmers  are  ignorant  of  the 
fact,"  replied  Ealph,  "and  it's  a  great  pity,  for 
the  government  publications  are  concise,  exhaustive 
and  absolutely  reliable.  They  cover  every  possible 
phase  of  farm  work  and  you  can't  do  better  than 
always  to  use  them  as  your  guides.  I  brought  a 
few  of  the  pamphlets  with  me  to-night  and  I  '11  bring 


WAYS    AND    MEANS  37 

more  when  I  move  over,  as  I  have  practically  all 
that  have  been  issued.  You'll  notice,  when  reading 
the  pamphlets  on  poultry,  that  various  breeds  are 
mentioned  and  this  is  a  most  important  matter." 

"I  know  some  breeds,"  remarked  Tom.  "Fred 
Barton  had  some  he  called  Plymouth  Eocks  and 
some  others  he  called  Wyandottes  but  /  never  could 
see  much  difference  between  them." 

"Plymouth  Eocks  and  Wyandottes  are  both  so- 
called  ' general  purpose'  breeds,"  said  Ealph. 
"Orpingtons,  Ehode  Island  Eeds  and  several  other 
breeds  also  belong  in  this  class.  For  a  small  poultry 
farm  or  for  home  use  they  are  all  excellent  as  they 
lay  well,  are  hardy  and  easily  raised  and  are  good 
table  birds.  Moreover  they  are  good  mothers  and 
where  eggs  are  to  be  hatched  under  hens  and  in- 
cubators are  not  used  this  is  an  important  con- 
sideration. On  the  other  hand,  if  eggs  are  the 
principal  object  such  breeds  as  Leghorns,  Spanish, 
Minorcas,  etc.,  should  be  kept.  These  stand  first  as 
layers  but  they're  small  and  inferior  table  fowl  and 
seldom  sit,  and  hens  of  some  other  breed  should 
be  used  as  mothers.  Moreover,  they  are  rather  ten- 
der and  susceptible  to  cold  weather." 

"I  guess  I'll  stick  to  the  Plymouth  Eocks  then," 
remarked  Tom. 


38       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

"A  better  plan  is  to  have  several  breeds — each 
for  one  purpose,"  replied  Ralph.  ''Thus  you  can 
have  a  few  Plymouth  Rocks,  some  Leghorns  and 
some  Cochins  or  Bramas,  and  if  they  are  kept  in 
separate  houses  and  runs  the  breeds  will  remain 
pure  and  you'll  have  fowls  for  every  purpose." 

"What  are  the  Cochins  and  Bramas1?"  asked 
Tom. 

"They're  large,  heavy  breeds,  excellent  for  eating 
and  often  good  layers,"  explained  his  cousin.  "For 
the  present,  however,  you'll  scarcely  require  Plym- 
outh Rocks  or  other  general-purpose  breeds,  as 
the  hens  you  have,  although  not  pure-blooded,  are 
principally  Plymouth  Rock  stock  and  will  serve  your 
purpose  just  as  well  as  more  expensive  fowls." 

"I  can't  exactly  understand  how  there's  any  profit 
in  buying  fowls  and  feeding  them  and  then  killing 
them  to  sell  again,"  said  Tom  in  a  puzzled  tone. 
"If  I  have  to  pay  the  market  price  for  the  chickens 
in  the  first  place  how  do  I  make  anything?" 

Ralph  laughed.  "Your  business  wouldn't  prove 
profitable  under  such  conditions, ' '  he  replied.  ' '  The 
point  is  to  buy  young  pullets  at  a  low  price,  raise 
them  to  marketable  size  and  sell  at  a  profit,  or  else 
buy  eggs  and  raise  the  chicks.  After  a  little  time 
you'll  be  in  a  position  to  set  eggs  from  your  own 


WAYS    AND    MEANS  39 

hens  and  raise  your  own  stock  but  for  a  start  you  '11 
have  to  purchase  the  birds." 

"I  don't  believe  any  of  the  farmers  around  here 
have  any  of  those  breeds,"  said  Tom.  "How  will 
I  be  able  to  buy  them?" 

"There  are  many  dealers  in  pure-bred  poultry 
in  the  vicinity,"  answered  Ralph,  "and  their  ad- 
dresses may  readily  be  found  by  looking  over  one 
of  the  monthly  magazines  devoted  to  poultry  or  the 
farm. ' ' 

"You  really  don't  mean  that  there  are  magazines 
just  for  farmers  ? ' '  cried  Tom. 

"Certainly  there  are.  And  mighty  fine  ones, 
too,"  declared  Ralph.  "I'd  strongly  advise  you  to 
subscribe  to  one — look  over  a  number  and  select 
the  one  you  like  best.  They're  full  of  useful  in- 
formation, valuable  facts  and  advertisements. 
Kitty '11  find  them  fully  as  interesting  as  yourself 
for  they  have  departments  devoted  to  home  decora- 
tion, cooking,  needlework  and  flower  culture.  And 
speaking  of  flowers,  Kitty,  if  you're  fond  of  them 
you  can  easily  raise  them  indoors  this  winter  and 
may  be  able  to  add  something  to  your  income." 

"Oh,  I  just  love  growing  plants,"  cried  Kitty. 
"Do  tell  me  what  I  can  raise  and  how  I  can  start, 


40       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

Cousin  Ealph.  Do  you  really  think  I  can  make 
money  from  flowers?" 

"Of  course  you  can,"  replied  her  cousin.  "Al- 
though it's  too  late  to  start  some  things,  yet  there 
are  numerous  varieties  which  are  easy  to  grow  and 
which  sell  well.  The  only  trouble  will  be  to  secure 
customers.  If  Tom  will  take  a  day  or  two  off  and 
will  visit  the  leading  caterers,  undertakers  and  res- 
taurants he  can  probably  secure  orders  for  all  the 
flowers  you  can  furnish  at  reasonable  prices.  Then 
there  are  private  houses  where  flowers  are  used  a 
great  deal.  Watch  the  announcements  of  weddings, 
balls,  dances  and  entertainments  and  make  esti- 
mates for  the  flowers  used  and  I've  no  doubt  you'll 
be  able  to  sell  everything  you  can  raise.  I  think 
you'll  find  little  spare  time  on  your  hands,  however, 
between  cooking,  housework,  keeping  the  books,  etc. 
There 's  always  something  to  be  done  on  a  farm,  you 
know. ' ' 

"I  shan't  mind  how  busy  I  am,"  declared  Kitty. 
"I'll  just  remember  Uncle  Ab's  statement  that  hard 
work  never  hurts  anybody.  At  any  rate  I  am  sure 
I  won't  find  it  half  as  bad  as  sitting  at  a  typewriter 
all  day." 

"I've  no  doubt  it  will  be  pleasanter  and  health- 
ier," agreed  Ealph,  "but  you'll  certainly  require 


WAYS    AND    MEANS 


41 


help  about  the  place  before  spring.  During  the 
winter  there'll  not  be  so  much  to  attend  to  and 
aside  from  caring  for  the  poultry  and  the  horse — 
when  you  have  one — almost  anything  can  be  put  off 
until  you  have  time  to  attend  to  it. ' ' 

"But  you  haven't  told  me  how  to  grow  the  plants 
yet,  Cousin  Ralph,"  persisted  Kitty. 

"Well,  if  you'll  promise  me  you'll  not  overwork 


Hot-bed 

and  will  get  a  woman  to  help  about  the  house  I'll  tell 
you  what  I  can  about  floriculture  indoors  and  you 
can  take  it  down  in  shorthand.  In  the  first  place 
you'll  require  several  hot-beds  and  one  or  two  cold- 
frames  and  some  seed-boxes.  Hot  beds  are  easily 
made  by  digging  a  hole  the  size  of  the  bed,  and 


42       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

boarding  it  up  with  planks  with  the  sides  projecting 
above  the  earth  for  about  ten  inches  on  one  end 
and  eighteen  inches  on  the  other.  It  will  make  it 
clearer  if  I  draw  a  sketch.  There,  this  will  give 
you  the  idea.  The  hole  should  then  be  filled  with 
manure,  prepared  by  adding  some  fresh  stable  man- 
ure to  old  manure,  straw,  litter  and  leaves  and 
leaving  it  until  the  heat  generated  decreases  to 
about  100  degrees  Fahr.  The  manure  should  then 
be  placed  in  the  hole  of  the  frame  and  well  pounded 
down  until  within  six  to  ten  inches  of  the  surface  of 
the  surrounding  earth.  It  should  then  be  covered 
with  a  layer  of  fine,  sifted,  rich  soil  three  or  four 
inches  deep.  Over  the  top  of  the  frame  sashes 
should  be  placed — you  can  buy  old  sashes  very 
cheaply  from  house-wreckers — and  the  sash  should 
be  left  in  place  for  three  or  four  days.  The  manure 
mass  within  will  become  very  hot  and  will  destroy 
the  life  of  any  weed  seeds  that  may  be  in  it.  A 
thermometer  should  be  placed  in  the  bed  each  day 
and  when  the  temperature  falls  to  95  degrees  the 
bed  is  ready  for  planting.  It  should  then  be  banked 
up  outside  with  coarse  manure,  soil,  straw  or  litter 
as  I've  indicated  in  the  sketch.  Cold-frames  are  still 
easier  to  make.  The  sides  are  merely  old  planks 
or  boards  and  the  tops  are  old  window-sashes.    Se- 


WAYS   AND    MEANS  43 

lect  a  dry,  well-drained  spot  with  a  southern  ex- 
posure and  set  four  stout  posts  in  the  ground  and 
nail  the  sides  to  these.  Let  the  boards  set  into 
the  earth  a  few  inches  and  have  the  earth  within 
the  frames  well  spaded  and  manured.  You  should 
also  have  some  old  burlap  or  board  covers  to  place 
over  the  sash.  A  frame  six  by  twelve  feet  will  be 
amply  large  enough  for  your  purpose  and  if  the 
sides  are  one  foot  high  at  the  rear  and  nine  inches 
at  the  front  it  will  be  about  right.  Seed-boxes  are 
just  shallow  trays  or  boxes  twelve  to  eighteen  inches 
square  with  holes  for  drainage  in  the  bottom.  Cover 
the  holes  with  bits  of  broken  flower  pots  or  pebbles 
and  fill  the  boxes  with  soil  composed  of  a  mixture  of 
one-third  leaf-mold — the  dark  surface  earth  from 
the  woods — one  third  sharp,  clean  sand — which  you 
can  obtain  from  the  bed  of  your  brook — and  one- 
third  good  field  loam. 

"It  is  too  late  for  you  to  raise  some  things,  as 
I  told  you,  but  violets,  carnations,  sweet  alyssum, 
mignonette,  hyacinths,  coleus  and  various  bulbs  may 
all  be  grown  easily.  I'd  advise  starting  the  violets 
first.  It's  too  late  to  grow  them  from  seed  but  you 
can  purchase  one  hundred  runner  plants  of  the  best 
English  varieties  for  a  few  cents  each  and  set  these 
in  a  cold-frame,  leaving  the  top  open  to  the  sun  and 


44       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

air  during  the  day  until  the  weather  becomes  quite 
cold.  By  December  the  plants  should  be  well  grown 
and  covered  with  buds  and  you  should  have  a  con- 
stant succession  of  violets  all  through  the  winter. 
During  really  cold  weather  keep  the  sash  of  the 
frames  covered  with  old  matting,  carpets  or  burlap 
and  raise  the  sash  to  admit  air  and  sunshine  on 
every  warm,  pleasant  day. 

"As  soon  as  the  violets  are  started  plant  bulbs  of 
narcissus,  freesia,  hyacinths,  etc.,  and  set  them  in 
the  cool,  dark,  lumber  room  to  start.  The  seed- 
boxes  may  be  planted  with  sweet  alyssum,  mignon- 
ette, heliotrope,  etc.  In  some  of  the  boxes  plant 
cuttings  of  begonias,  coleus  and  carnations.  If  you 
buy  one  or  two  plants  you  can  readily  obtain  enough 
cuttings  to  fill  your  boxes.  By  keeping  the  bulbs 
cool  and  dark  or  by  placing  them  in  warm,  sunny 
situations  you  can  produce  flowers  at  almost  any 
time,  but  remember  that  with  all  flowering  plants  the 
great  secret  is  to  water  freely  while  the  plant  is 
growing  or  producing  flowers  and  withhold  water  as 
much  as  possible  while  the  plant  is  resting  or  dor- 
mant. You  will  Have  to  keep  your  growing  plants 
and  seedlings  in  a  sunny  window  where  there  is  an 
even  temperature — that  big  corner  window  in  the 
dining   room  is   just   the   place — and   avoid   dust. 


WAYS    AND    MEANS  45 

Sprinkle  the  leaves  and  wash  them  with  soap  and 
water  if  you  are  troubled  with  insects.  The  violets 
and  flowering  bulbs  will  sell  well  as  cut-flowers,  the 
young  carnations,  well-started  bulbs  and  coleus  will 
sell  as  potted  plants,  and  the  alyssum,  mignonette, 
coleus,  heliotrope  and  carnations  may  all  be  used 
for  filling  window  boxes  to  order.  Tom  can  easily 
make  very  attractive  and  pretty  boxes  with  natural 
bark  from  the  woodpile  and  in  addition  you  can  no 
doubt  secure  contracts  to  fill  boxes  which  many  peo- 
ple already  own.  They  often  pay  five  or  six  dollars 
to  have  a  florist  fill  a  box  and  the  stock  costs  but  a 
few  cents.  You  will  no  doubt  have  to  buy  a  few 
things  such  as  trailing  vincas,  geraniums  and  small 
palms  from  the  florist  to  fill  out  the  boxes ;  but  even 
counting  on  these  the  entire  cost  of  the  plants  in  a 
five-dollar  box  should  not  be  over  one  or  two  dollars. 
In  the  spring  you  can  start  in  planting  carnation, 
gloxinia,  coleus,  cyclamen  and  other  rare  flower 
seeds  in  the  hot-beds  and  by  next  autumn  you  will 
have  quite  a  stock  of  plants  for  your  winter's  sales. 
By  that  time  you  may  require  a  small  greenhouse 
or  conservatory  which  Tom  can  easily  build  for  you. 
The  hot-beds  will  also  be  useful  in  starting  various 
vegetables  and  the  cold  frames  can  also  be  used  in 
connection  with  the  kitchen  garden ;  but  that  will  all 


46       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

come  later.  IVe  given  you  a  long  lecture  and  I 
must  be  running  along.  Gracious,  it's  nearly  mid- 
night now.  Well,  good  night,  I'll  expect  to  find  you 
both  full-fledged  farmers  when  I  see  you  in  ten  days 
or  so."  And  Cousin  Ealph  hurried  down  the  path 
while  Tom  and  Kitty  stood  in  the  old-fashioned 
doorway  and  watched  the  tail-light  of  his  car  until 
it  disappeared  around  a  distant  bend  of  the  road. 


*s 


t  .*■ 


;& 


.- 


CHAPTER  IV 
HELPING   HANDS 

"The  first  thing  I'm  going  to  do,"  announced 
Tom  the  next  morning,  "is  to  go  to  town.  Before 
I  can  get  my  hens  I've  to  build  more  houses  and 
runs  and  before  I  can  do  that  I've  to  buy  some  tools. 
I've  made  up  my  mind  to  be  my  own  carpenter  here- 
after. I've  been  watching  those  men  at  work  here 
and  I've  picked  up  a  lot  about  using  tools  and  I 
think  chicken  houses  will  be  good  things  to  practice 
on." 

"Poor  chickens,"  laughed  Kitty  teasingly  and 
added:  "Of  course  you  can  do  all  the  carpenter 
work  about  the  place,  Tom.  I'll  go  along  to  town 
with  you  and  while  you're  buying  tools  and  such 
things  I'll  try  and  get  some  promises  of  flower 
orders." 

Tom  looked  thoughtful  and  after  a  moment  ex- 
claimed: "I  don't  like  that  idea,  Kit.  I  hate  to 
think  of  you  going  about  asking  people  to  buy 
things.    Somehow  it  seems  like  begging  to  me." 

"Why,    what    perfect    nonsense!"    cried    Kitty. 

47 


48       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

"It's  just  a  matter  of  business  and  I  don't  mind  it 
a  bit.  It  isn  't  half  as  bad  as  running  around  collect- 
ing bills  and  rents  the  way  you  had  to  do  for  Mr. 
Grayson.  Tom,  I  do  believe  I'll  go  to  him  first  of 
all.  He  said  we  could  count  on  him  as  a  customer 
and  I'm  going  to  make  him  keep  his  word.  Mrs. 
Grayson  is  always  giving  dances  and  teas  and  enter- 
tainments. ' ' 

' '  But  you  haven 't  any  flowers  to  sell  yet, ' '  remon- 
strated Tom.  "What's  the  use  of  getting  orders  for 
what  you  can't  furnish V 

"Well,  what's  the  use  of  planting  things  unless 
you  can  sell  them?"  demanded  his  sister.  "I'm 
going  to  find  out  how  many  I  can  sell  and  then  I  can 
tell  how  many  to  plant.    Isn't  that  good  business1?" 

"Yes,  I  suppose  'tis,"  admitted  Tom,  and 
added:  "We  might  as  well  try  and  get  those  old 
window-sashes  for  the  hot-beds  and  cold-frames  to- 
day and  save  another  trip." 

"Yes,  and  then  we'll  work  hard  and  get  things 
started  and  won't  have  to  come  in  town  again  until 
we're  ready  to  buy  the  plants  and  chickens,"  cried 
Kitty.  "Now  hurry  up,  Tom,  and  feed  the  hens 
while  I  straighten  up  the  house  and  we  '11  get  started 
right  away.  Are  you  going  to  have  the  things  sent 
out?" 


HELPING   HANDS  49 

"No,  I'm  going  to  take  Grand 'ther  Joe  at  his 
word  and  borrow  his  horse  and  wagon,"  replied 
Tom.  ' '  Then  we  can  drive  into  town  and  bring  out 
a  load  of  stuff  ourselves.  We'll  have  to  do  every- 
thing for  ourselves  from  now  on,  you  know. ' '  Pres- 
ently Tom  returned  from  the  poultry  yard  and 
proudly  presented  four  fresh  eggs  to  Kitty. 

"I'm  going  to  keep  account  of  all  these  eggs," 
she  announced.  "If  the  hens  didn't  lay  them  we'd 
have  to  buy  from  other  farmers,  and  with  eggs  sell- 
ing at  50  cents  a  dozen  they'll  make  quite  an  item." 

"Wait  till  I  get  some  real  egg-breeds,"  said  Tom. 
"Then  you'll  see  what  hens  can  do  to  pay  for  them- 
selves. I  read  that  pamphlet  on  hens  after  I  went 
to  bed  last  night  and  it  says  some  breeds  lay  as 
many  as  200  eggs  a  year  on  an  average.  I'm  going 
to  get  30  hens  and  that  will  give  me  6,000  eggs  a 
year.  Just  think  of  it,  Kit,  twenty  eggs  a  day! 
If  I  save  half  of  them  and  hatch  them  out  I'll  have 
3,000  chickens  at  the  end  of  a  year  and  if  half  of 
them  lay  I'll  get  300,000  eggs  the  next  year, 
and " 

Kitty  burst  out  laughing.  "O  Tom,"  she  cried. 
"Don't  go  on  any  further.  At  that  rate  you 
wouldn't  have  room  on   the  whole   farm  for  the 


50       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

chickens.  At  the  end  of  two  years  you  'd  have  about 
30,000,000  fowls  overrunning  the  place." 

"Well,  you  don't  for  a  moment  think  I'm  such  a 
fool  as  to  expect  that,  do  you?"  demanded  Tom  in 
an  injured  tone.  "I'm  simply  telling  what  would 
happen  if  none  of  the  chickens  died  off  or  were 
killed  and  all  the  eggs  hatched  and  all  the  hens  laid 
as  many  eggs  as  they  should.  I  just  intended  it  to 
illustrate  how  rapidly  chickens  increased.  But  any- 
how we  're  going  to  make  money  off  poultry.  See  if 
we  don 't. ' ' 

"I  haven't  the  least  doubt  of  it,"  replied  Kitty. 
"I've  always  wondered  why  eggs  cost  so  much  and 
after  hearing  Cousin  Ralph  talking  to  you  last  night 
I  think  I  understand.  The  trouble  is  our  farmers 
don't  raise  poultry  scientifically.  You  know  what 
Ralph  said  about  pure  breeds.  Well,  these  farmers 
never  have  pure  breeds  and  yet  they  expect  good 
results.  Why,  nobody  would  expect  to  make  any 
success  with  mongrel  dogs  or  other  animals,  would 
they?  And  yet  they  all  keep  mongrel  hens.  I  can 
see  that  myself  and  I've  only  lived  on  a  farm  for  a 
little  more  than  one  day." 

"That's  because  you've  got  brains,"  declared 
Tom.  "The  books  say  just  about  the  same  things 
and  that  our  farmers  have  gone  on  in  the  same  old- 


HELPING   HANDS  515 

fashioned  way  of  doing  things  and  haven't  kept  up 
with  the  times  or  modern  methods  and  that's  why 
they  fail  to  make  their  farms  pay.  I'm  going  to 
run  our  farm  on  the  latest  and  most  scientific  lines 
and  prove  to  these  farmers  around  us  that  city  folks 
can  beat  them  at  their  own  game. ' ' 

"I  feel  sure  we  can  do  it,  too,  Tom,"  cried  Kitty. 
"With  Cousin  Ealph's  help  we're  sure  to  succeed. 
But  come  along.  If  we  're  to  do  all  those  errands  in 
town  we  must  be  hurrying." 

The  two  found  Grand  'ther  Joe  hard  at  work  chop- 
ping wood  and  he  looked  up  and  welcomed  them 
with  a  cheery  "Howdy,  glad  ter  see  ye  erbout. 
Slep '  well  las '  night,  did  yer  I  Didn  't  know  but  ye  'd 
find  it  kinder  strange  and  lonesomelike  arter  livin' 
in  the  city." 

"May  we  borrow  your  horse  and  wagon  for  the 
day?"  asked  Tom. 

"  'Course  ye  kin,"  replied  the  old  man,  "an'  wel- 
come ye  be  to  'em.  Ain't  goin'  nowheres  terday  an' 
Mandy's  a-bakin'.  I'll  hitch  up  right  smart  fer  ye. 
Won't  ye  come  in  an  have  a  bite  ter  eat?" 

"No,  thanks,"  answered  Kitty.  "But  I'll  run  in 
and  say  good  morning  to  Aunt  Mandy  while  you 
and  Tom  are  getting  the  horse  harnessed. ' ' 

Ignorant  as  was  Tom  about  many  items  of  farm 


52  UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

life  yet  lie  did  know  how  to  harness  a  horse.  He 
had  always  been  fond  of  horses  and  during  his  visit 
to  Fred  Barton's  home  had  spent  a  large  portion 
of  his  time  caring  for  the  horses,  harnessing  them 
and  driving  them  about.  He  had  even  learned  to 
plow  and  to  drive  a  mowing-machine  and  felt  per- 
fectly at  home  wherever  horses  were  used. 

"Don't  bother,  Grand 'ther,"  he  remarked.  "I'll 
hitch  up  the  horse  if  you  don't  mind  and  save  you 
the  trouble." 

"Wall,  wall,"  exclaimed  the  old  farmer.  "Ye 
don't  mean  ter  tell  as  how  ye  can  hitch  up  er  hoss?" 

"Surely,"  laughed  Tom.  "You  mustn't  think  we 
city  folks  don't  know  anything."  And  stepping  to 
the  barn  he  was  soon  busily  currying  and  brushing 
the  old  sorrel  mare  and  in  a  few  moments  drove  out 
from  the  wagon-shed  and  drew  up  before  the  farm- 
house door. 

"Wall,  I  swan!"  cried  Grand 'ther  Joe  as  he  saw 
him.  ' '  Ye  suttinly  did  git  ol '  Nell  hitched  up  purty 
lively  I  must  say.  Curried  her  too  b  'gosh !  Reckon 
ye  know  more  erbout  critters  than  I  thought  ye 
did." 

Kitty  now  appeared,  and,  with  farewells  from 
Mandy  and  her  husband,  brother  and  sister  rattled 
off  towards  town. 


Grand'ther  Joe  looked  up  and  welcomed  them 


HELPING   HANDS  53 

Near  Grayson's  office  they  separated,  Kitty  to 
interview  her  former  employer  while  Tom  drove  off 
to  find  a  "house-wrecker,"  as  Ealph  had  expressed 
it,  and  a  hardware  store.  At  the  latter  he  pur- 
chased the  necessary  tools,  depending  upon  the  judg- 
ment and  advice  of  the  dealer  and  frankly  admitting 
that  he  knew  little  about  using  tools  and  wanted 
those  that  would  serve  him  best. 

"You  don't  require  many  tools,"  said  the  sales- 
man. "A  cross-cut  and  rip-saw,  three  planes,  a 
square  and  level,  a  draw-knife,  a  couple  of  chisels, 
a  hatchet  and  hammer,  bit-stock  and  augers,  a 
screwdriver  and  a  supply  of  nails  and  screws  will  be 
about  all." 

"That  sounds  like  a  lot  to  me,"  exclaimed  Tom, 
"but  if  you  say  they're  necessary  let  me  have 
them. ' ' 

"Very  well,  sir,"  replied  the  clerk.  "Let  me 
advise  you  to  buy  the  best.  They'll  cost  a  little  more 
in  the  first  place  but  they'll  be  cheapest  in  the  end. 
Poor  tools  are  a  nuisance  and  you'll  get  far  more 
satisfaction  from  proper  tools  and  will  be  able  to  do 
better  work." 

"All  right,"  agreed  Tom.  "Give  me  the  best," 
and  then,  as  an  idea  occurred  to  him,  he  added: 
"Do  you  know  where  I'll  find  a  house- wrecker t 


54       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

I  want  some  old  window-sash  for  making  cold- 
frames  and  hot-beds.' ' 

"There  are  several  house-wreckers  in  town,"  re- 
plied the  salesman  as  he  wrapped  np  the  tools,  "but 
I  can  tell  you  wheie  you'll  be  able  to  get  sash  to 
better  advantage.  There's  a  dealer  in  sash  and 
blinds  down  on  Spruce  Street  and  you'll  find  any- 
thing you  want  there.  Sash  with  small  lights  of 
glass  are  going  out  of  style  and  you  can  buy  them 
very  cheaply.  For  your  use  I  presume  the  size  of 
the  panes  does  not  matter." 

"Not  at  all,"  said  Tom.  "But  I  should  never 
have  thought  of  it  if  you  hadn't  mentioned  it.  I'm 
ever  so  much  obliged  for  the  information." 

He  had  no  trouble  in  finding  the  dealer  in  sash 
and  blinds  and  secured  a  number  of  suitable  win- 
dow-sash for  a  very  low  price.  With  the  sash,  three 
rolls  of  poultry-netting,  his  tools  and  hardware  the 
wagon  had  quite  a  load,  and  having  procured  all 
he  required  Tom  drove  to  the  spot  at  which  he  was 
to  meet  Kitty. 

She  soon  arrived  and  was  enthusiastic  over  the 
success  of  her  day's  work. 

"Mr.  Grayson  was  just  lovely,"  she  exclaimed  as 
they  sat  together  in  a  nearby  restaurant.  "He  tele- 
phoned right  out  to  his  wife  and  she  agreed  to  send 


HELPING    HANDS  55 

me  a  list  of  the  dates  of  her  entertainments  and  to 
order  all  the  flowers  we  could  supply  from  us.  She 
also  promised  to  speak  to  several  of  her  friends 
about  it  and  Mr.  Grayson  promised  me  the  contract 
of  filling  all  their  flower-boxes  in  the  spring.  They 
have  a  lot  of  them  around  their  piazzas,  you  know. 
Mr.  Grayson  thought  we  were  doing  splendidly  and 
said  to  let  him  know  just  as  soon  as  we  had  eggs 
and  things  to  sell.  He  wanted  to  know  if  we  could 
send  him  a  load  of  wood  for  his  open  fireplace.  He 
wants  selected  hickory  and  birch  and  is  willing  to 
pay  a  fancy  price." 

"What  did  you  tell  him?"  enquired  Tom. 

"I  said  we  could  furnish  it,  of  course.  If  we  can't 
get  enough  out  of  the  fifteen  cords  the  Walton  Com- 
pany give  us  we  can  cut  some  especially  for  him, 
you  know." 

"Well,  you  certainly  seem  to  be  a  good  business 
manager,"  declared  Tom.  "If  we  can  furnish  the 
goods  I  guess  there  won't  be  any  trouble  about 
selling  them." 

A  stop  was  made  at  a  news-dealer's,  where  Tom 
purchased  several  farm  and  poultry  magazines  and 
long  before  sunset  everything  was  safely  delivered 
at  the  farm  and  the  horse  and  wagon  were  returned 
to  their  owner. 


56       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

"  'Spect  ye '11  be  wantin'  ter  use  ther  barn  purty 
quick,"  commented  old  Joe  as  Tom  was  leaving. 
"Mought  as  well  git  ther  neighbors  tergether  an' 
help  ye  fix  it  up  Saturday  next,  if  thet'll  suit  ye. 
I'm  a  gittin'  too  old  fer  to  do  any  shinglin'  but  I'll 
he'p  with  shorin'  of  it  up  and  Nick  Wood  and  his 
brother '11  patch  ther  roof  an'  Frank  Carter '11  fetch 
along  his  stoneboat  an'  Jim  Grant '11  sell  ye  a  load 
er  hay  and  Bill  Akers  kin  haul  over  a  load  er  straw 
an'  Mandy  and  the  wimmen-f oiks '11  bring  erlong  the 
vittles  and  we'll  hev  a  reg'lar  ol'  time  barn  dance 
in  ther  evenin '.  Land  Sakes !  we  hain  't  had  er  barn 
raisin'  fer  so  long  I  'most  fergit." 

' '  Oh,  we  couldn  't  expect  you  all  to  give  your  time 
to  help  us  in  that  way,"  remonstrated  Tom.  "I'll 
be  glad  to  pay  for  any  labor  we  need  and  we'd  be 
ever  so  glad  to  have  you  all  come  over  and  have  a 
good  time  and  a  barn-dance,  as  you  call  it,  but  you 
really  mustn't  do  so  much  for  us." 

"Now  looker  here,"  exclaimed  old  Joe  severely. 
"I  dunno  what  yere  a-talkin'  on  when  ye  speak  o' 
payin'.  0'  course  city  folks  don't  know  erbout  sech 
things  or  I'd  be  reel  put  out  by  ye.  Ye  see  a  barn 
raisin's  a  reg'lar  celebratin'  in  ther  country-parts 
an'  while  thet  barn  o*  yours  ain't  a  new  barn  to  be 
raised  it's  purty  nigh  the  same  thing  an'  we'll  jist 


HELPING   HANDS  57 

pertend  it's  a  reg'lar  ol '-fashioned  raisin'  and  hev 
a  good  time  an'  all  the  fixin's  accordin'.  Now  don't 
ye  fergit  Saturday's  ther  time  an'  we'll  all  be  on 
hand  sure,"  With  this  parting  injunction  he  bade 
Tom  good-night. 

Kitty  was  highly  amused  over  Tom's  account  of 
the  coming  barn  dance  and  celebration  and  declared 
it  would  be  a  great  treat.  "I  suppose  it's  like  a 
house  warming,"  she  remarked.  "And  the  neigh- 
bors all  come  to  get  acquainted  and  make  you  feel 
at  home  among  them.  But  isn't  it  funny  to  have  it 
in  the  barn1?" 

"I  guess  there's  no  room  in  the  houses,"  sug- 
gested Tom.  "The  barns  always  seem  to  be  the 
biggest  things  on  the  farms." 

The  next  few  days  were  busy  ones  at  the  farm. 
Tom  worked  diligently  at  his  chicken  houses  and 
while  at  first  he  had  some  difficulty  in  sawing  the 
boards  straight  and  in  using  his  materials  and  tools 
to  the  best  advantage  he  managed  to  put  up  some 
very  creditable  houses  for  his  prospective  poultry. 
He  then  turned  his  attention  to  the  hot-beds  and 
cold-frames  and  by  Friday  afternoon  saw  them  com- 
pleted. 

Saturday  dawned  clear  and  pleasant  and  before 
Tom  and  Kitty  were  through  breakfast  Grand 'ther 


58       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

Joe  and  several  of  the  neighbors  arrived.  They  lost 
no  time  in  commencing  work  on  the  barn  and  Tom 
was  more  than  surprised  at  the  rapidity  with  which 
the  repairs  proceeded.  High  on  the  roof  the  "Wood 
brothers  labored  at  shingling;  Frank  Carter's  stone- 
boat  moved  continually  back  and  forth  carrying 
stones  for  repairing  the  foundation  walls,  and  old 
Joe,  pipe  in  teeth,  directed  and  helped  Tom  and  a 
couple  of  husky  young  farmers  as  they  lifted  the 
frame  of  the  great  building  by  jack-screws  and 
'shored  it'  up  true  and  level.  By  noon  the  shinglers 
had  completed  their  work  and  after  lunch  began 
ripping  up  the  rotten  and  broken  floorboards  and 
laying  new  ones  and  by  the  time  Aunt  Mandy  and 
the  other  "wimmen  folks"  drove  up  with  the  good 
things  for  the  feast  the  barn  was  once  more  erect 
and  presentable  with  a  tight  roof  above  which  stood 
a  green  cedar  tree — emblem  of  a  barn-raising — 
while  hay  and  straw  piled  high  in  the  racks  lent  a 
fresh,  sweet  odor  to  the  big  interior. 

It  was  a  jolly  party  that  gathered  in  the  barn  and 
by  the  light  of  lanterns  danced,  sung  and  laughed 
far  into  the  night  while  Grand  'ther  Joe,  perched 
upon  the  oat-bin,  sawed  industriously  at  his  battered 
fiddle  and  the  merry-makers  helped  themselves  to 


Tom  had  learned  to  drive  a  mowing  machine 


The  barn  was  'shored  up'  and  reshingled 


HELPING    HANDS  59 

toothsome  "vittles"  heaped  in  profusion  on  an  ex- 
temporized table. 

Both  Tom  and  Kitty  were  glad  of  Sunday  for  a 
day  of  rest  and  on  Monday  they  again  visited  the 
city;  one  to  purchase  a  supply  of  seeds,  plants  and 
bulbs;  the  other  to  secure  blooded  poultry  as  the 
nucleus  of  the  flock. 

"I  don't  see  why  we  shouldn't  buy  our  horse 
now,"  remarked  Tom  as  they  drove  towards  the 
town.  "The  barn  is  all  ready,  the  hay  and  straw 
are  there  and  we'll  need  a  horse  and  wagon  more 
and  more  from  now  on.  I  believe  I'll  look  around 
and  try  to  find  a  horse  and  wagon  to-day.' ' 

Kitty  agreed  that  there  was  no  time  like  the  pres- 
ent and  early  in  the  afternoon  Tom  drove  proudly 
back  to  the  farm  in  his  own  wagon  while  old  Nell 
jogged  contentedly  behind  with  her  halter  hitched 
to  the  tail  board. 

"Purty  good-lookin'  hoss  ye've  got,"  remarked 
Gran'ther  Joe  as  he  met  them  at  his  gate.  "Kinder 
puts  the  old  mare  in  the  shade.  An'  chickens!  I 
swan!  What  be  yer  goin'  ter  do  with  all  them 
fancy  hens?" 

"Get  eggs,"  laughed  Tom.  "These  white  leg- 
horns ought  to  average  200  eggs  a  year  and  these 
Cochins  will  furnish  roasting  chickens  that  weigh 


60       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

more  in  six  months  than  most  old  hens  in  a  year." 

"Wall,  ye  won't  make  nothin'  off  en  chickens  in 
winter  time,"  declared  the  old  man.  "Hens  alius 
stops  layin'  when  eggs  go  up." 

"Bather,  eggs  go  up  when  hens  stop  laying," 
commented  Tom.  "The  reason  is  that  most  people 
hatch  all  their  chicks  about  the  same  time.  If  you 
hatch  some  every  month  you  '11  have  a  succession  of 
layers  throughout  the  year.  That's  what  the  gov- 
ernment's books  say  and  they  ought  to  know." 

"Wall,  I  wish  yer  luck.  Book  larnin's  a  great 
thing  an'  we  l'arn  suttin  new  ev'ry  day.  'Spect  ye '11 
be  a  showin'  on  us  a  heap  o'  new  idees  about  farm- 
in',"  said  the  old  farmer  with  a  touch  of  sarcasm. 

It  was  a  proud  moment  for  Tom  when  he  saw 
his  new  poultry  yards  occupied  by  the  flock  of 
scratching,  clucking  hens,  and  the  horse  in  its  stall 
munching  at  the  hay  and  oats,  and  when  he  and 
Kitty  were  aroused  by  the  crowing  of  their  own 
roosters  and  Tom  stepped  forth  into  the  chill  morn- 
ing air  to  attend  to  the  wants  of  his  live-stock  he 
felt  like  a  true  farmer  at  last. 

For  several  days  the  ring  of  axes  on  timber  had 
been  borne  faintly  across  the  fields  from  the  wood- 
lot  and  after  breakfast  Tom  announced  that  he  was 
going  to  the  woods  to  see  how  the  choppers  were 


HELPING   HANDS  61 

getting  on.  "Cousin  Ralph  said  to  keep  an  eye  on 
everything, ' '  he  remarked,  ' '  and  anyway  I  'd  like  to 
see  the  men  at  work.  I'll  have  to  learn  to  cut  trees 
myself  and  I  might  as  well  begin  now. ' ' 

He  was  amazed  at  the  change  which  had  been 
already  wrought  in  the  woods  and  in  the  place  of 
the  dense  growth  found  an  open  grove  of  chestnut 
and  walnut  with  a  few  small  saplings  while  great 
piles  of  cordwood  stood  here  and  there  and  freshly- 
cut  chips  gleamed  white  among  the  fallen  leaves. 
The  cutters  had  penetrated  some  distance  into  the 
woods  but  Tom  noticed  that  they  had  adhered  to 
their  agreement  and  had  spared  nut  trees,  small 
saplings  and  timber  trees,  and  he  was  surprised  at 
the  number  of  trees  which  had  been  cut  without 
leaving  the  land  bare  and  naked.  In  fact  the  place 
was  greatly  improved  and  the  big  chestnuts  and 
walnuts  showed  to  far  better  advantage  than  when 
he  had  first  seen  them  surrounded  and  hidden  by 
the  close-growing  younger  trees. 

The  choppers  were  swarthy  French  Canadians 
and  Tom  gazed  fascinated  at  the  rhythmic  swing 
of  the  gleaming  axes  and  the  manner  in  which  they 
bit  deep  and  true  into  the  wood.  Almost  in  no  time, 
as  it  seemed  to  Tom,  the  trees  were  severed  and 
fell  crashing  to  the  earth  and  he  envied  the  woods- 


62       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

men  their  skill  and  longed  to  be  able  to  swing  an  axe 
and  cut  trees  himself. 

"Does  it  take  long  to  learn  to  chop  like  that?" 
he  asked  of  the  big-boned  foreman. 

"That  depends,  mister,"  answered  the  other. 
"Some  folks  never  learn  and  t 'others  just  take  to 
it  natural-like.  These  'ere  Kanucks  was  born  and 
brought  up  in  lumber-camps,  as  you  might  say,  an' 
swingin'  an'  axe  is  as  easy  as  walkin'  to  'em."  As 
he  spoke  he  stepped  forward  and  with  one  or  two 
deft  strokes  severed  a  stout  limb  that  had  caught 
on  a  nearby  tree  as  it  fell. 

"Well,  it  looks  easy  enough,"  remarked  Tom. 
"How  many  cords  have  you  cut  already?" 

"Forty  odd,"  replied  the  foreman,  "not  counting 
odds  and  ends.  By  the  way,"  he  added,  "how  about 
them  rock-maples  up  yonder.  The  boss  didn't  say 
nothin'  about  leavin'  'em  but  it  seems  a  pity  to  cut 
down  good  sugar-trees  for  firewood." 

"What  do  you  mean  by  sugar  trees?"  asked  Tom, 
puzzled. 

The  other  stared  at  him  in  amazement  for  a  mo- 
ment and  exclaimed:  "Don't  you  know  what  a 
sugar-tree  is  ?  Why  a  tree  what  you  get  sugar  from 
— a  sugar-maple  or  a  rock-maple.    You've  a  good 


HELPING   HANDS  63 

grove  of  'em  yonder  and  you  ougliter  get  fifty  pound 
o'  sugar  at  the  least." 

"0,  you  mean  maple  sugar,"  said  Tom.  "Of 
course  I  know  what  that  is,  but  I  never  really 
stopped  to  think  that  we  might  get  it  from  trees 
here." 

"Well,  if  I  was  you  I'd  see  the  boss  about  it.  Of 
course  a  contrac's  a  contrac'  but  I  reckon  the  boss 
won't  insist  on  them  maples.  He'll  get  more  than 
what  he  bargained  for  without  'em." 

' '  Thank  you  for  telling  me, ' '  said  Tom.  l '  I  didn  't 
even  know  they  were  there  and  I'll  see  about  them 
to-day.  I  suppose  you  can  let  them  stand  until  the 
last  anyway. ' ' 

"Sure,"  agreed  the  foreman.  "No  hurry  at  all 
and  say,  have  you  got  any  choice  about  them  fifteen 
cord  of  wood  we're  to  deliver  to  you?  Of  course 
it's  all  mixed  stuff  but  some  of  it  runs  pretty  much 
all  birch  and  hickory  and  other  lots  run  mostly 
chestnut  and  oak.  Thought  you  might  have  a  choice 
about  it." 

"I  guess  I'd  prefer  the  birch  and  hickory," 
Tom  replied,  thinking  of  Mr.  Grayson 's  order. 

"That's  all  the  better  for  us,  then,"  laughed  the 
big  lumberman.  "The  birch  is  mostly  near  the 
edge  o'  the  timber  and  a  shorter  haul  to  your  place." 


64       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

"They're  getting  on  finely,"  Tom  announced  to 
Kitty  as  he  entered  the  kitchen  where  she  was 
kneading  a  great  mass  of  dough.  "They've  cut 
forty  cords  already  and  the  foreman  is  going  to 
give  us  wood  that's  mostly  all  birch  and  hickory 
so  we  can  fill  Mr.  Grayson's  order  all  right.  And 
just  think,  Kit,  there's  a  lot  of  maple  trees  there 
that  the  man  says  will  give  us  at  least  fifty  pounds 
of  maple  sugar — real  maple  sugar.  I'm  going  in 
to  see  the  Walton  Company  and  arrange  to  have  the 
maples  spared." 

"Hadn't  you  better  wait  until  Cousin  Ralph  comes 
back?"  questioned  Kitty. 

"No,  I'm  sure  I  can  manage  it  alone.  I'm  find- 
ing that  there's  nothing  like  farming  to  teach  self- 
reliance  and  besides  I  want  an  axe.  I'm  going  to 
learn  to  chop  wood  myself.  Is  there  anything  you 
want  in  town?" 

Tom  had  no  difficulty  in  persuading  Mr.  Walton 
to  leave  the  maples. 

"I  wouldn't  think  of  sacrificing  them,"  de- 
clared the  wood-dealer.  "Although  I'm  in  the  busi- 
ness I  realize  the  necessity  of  conserving  timber 
and  I  have  no  sympathy  with  those  who  cut  every- 
thing clean  and  destroy  fine  and  valuable  timber 
trees  or  such  trees  as  your  maples  for  the  sake  of 


HELPING    HANDS  65 

firewood.  I'm  glad  that  you  have  realized  the  neces- 
sity of  protecting  your  timber  lands  so  soon,  Mr. 
Manville." 

"0,  I  shouldn't  have  known  enough  to  do  so," 
confessed  Tom,  laughing.  "  Cousin  Ralph  advised 
me." 

"You'll  never  regret  his  foresight,"  Mr.  Walton 
assured  Tom  as  he  rose  to  leave.  "But  I  would 
suggest  that  you  have  the  brush  and  trimmings 
cleared  out  as  soon  as  possible.  They  will  prove  a 
menace  later  on  for  they  are  the  best  of  fuel  for 
forest  fires  and  fire  is  the  greatest  danger  to  timber 
lands.  As  long  as  your  woods  are  free  from  brush 
and  branches  you'll  have  little  to  fear — dead  leaves 
alone  will  hardly  provide  enough  material  for  a  fire 
that  will  seriously  injure  the  large  trees,  although 
if  the  timber  were  mine  I  should  keep  the  earth  free 
from  an  accumulation  of  leaves  also. ' ' 

"That  sounds  like  good  advice,"  replied  Tom, 
1 ' and  I'll  certainly  follow  it.  I'm  very  much  obliged 
to  you,  Mr.  Walton." 

As  soon  as  Tom  reached  the  farm  and  had  stabled 
the  horse  he  essayed  to  test  his  ability  as  an  axeman. 
His  first  attempts  were  on  some  old  boards  which 
he  found  very  easy  to  split  and  cut,  and,  pleased 


66       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

with  his  success,  he  searched  about  for  something 
more  worthy  of  his  efforts. 

At  first  he  could  discover  nothing  but  finally,  in 
a  corner  of  the  woodshed,  he  found  a  number  of 
six-inch  logs  which  seemed  just  the  thing. 

Much  to  his  chagrin  the  edge  of  his  axe  made 
scarcely  any  impression  on  the  wood  despite  his 
utmost  efforts.  Feeling  that  only  practice  would 
make  perfect  he  assaulted  the  log  with  redoubled 
vigor  and  for  an  hour  hacked  away  until  when 
Kitty  called  him  to  lunch  he  realized  that  his  labor 
had  been  wasted  and  that  a  little  irregular  notch 
was  all  he  had  to  show  for  his  tired  back  and  blis- 
tered hands. 

"I  guess  I  wasn't  cut  out  for  a  wood-chopper," 
he  confided  to  Kitty.  ' '  I  can 't  understand  how  those 
men  can  work  at  it  all  day  long  and  make  so  much 
headway.  I'm  as  tired  as  a  dog  and  I  haven't  even 
cut  through  one  log  yet." 


CHAPTEE  V 
MAKING    WORK    INTO    PLAY 

"Things  certainly  have  been  progressing,"  de- 
clared Ralph  as  Tom  and  Kitty  led  him  proudly 
towards  the  barn  upon  his  arrival  after  a  two  weeks ' 
absence. 

"Why  the  old  barn  looks  as  good  as  new.  So 
you've  bought  your  horse  and  wagon  and  have  put 
in  your  stock  of  hay  and  feed,"  he  exclaimed  as 
they  entered  the  barn.  "Good  for  you,  Tom,  I'm 
glad  to  see  you  didn't  wait  but  went  right  ahead  on 
your  own  initiative." 

He  was  greatly  interested  in  their  account  of  the 
"barn- raising"  and  dance  and  then  turned  to  exam- 
ine Tom's  poultry  yards. 

"Fine,"  he  announced.  "You've  selected  good 
hens  and  your  houses  are  a  credit  to  your  skill  as 
a  carpenter,  Tom.  I  notice  you've  adopted  the 
apartment-house  plan  with  a  single  large  yard 
divided  by  netting  into  several  runs." 

"Yes,  I  decided  that  would  cost  less  and  would 

67 


68       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

be  easier  to  build,"  replied  Tom.  "In  the  spring 
I  intend  to  start  several  colony-nouses,  but  after 
going  over  the  pamphlets  carefully  I  came  to  the 
conclusion  that  the  apartment-house  was  preferable 
during  the  winter." 

"I  quite  agree  with  you,"  said  Ealph.  "You'll 
find  them  much  easier  to  look  after.  How  are  the 
hens  getting  on?" 

"Well,  they're  not  giving  many  eggs,  I  must  ad- 
mit," replied  Tom.  "Yesterday  we  found  ten  eggs 
from  the  leghorns  and  four  from  the  mixed  hens, 
but  the  Cochins  haven't  laid  any  yet.  We're  just 
beginning  to  save  up  what  we  don't  need  ourselves. 
Kitty  thought  she'd  be  able  to  sell  some  this  week." 

"That's  not  as  many  as  you  should  get,"  agreed 
his  cousin.    "How  are  you  feeding  them?" 

"I'm  giving  them  a  mixture  of  whole  grain  and 
mash  three  times  a  day,"  replied  Tom. 

"They  need  animal  food,  I  suspect,"  announced 
Ealph,  ' '  and  probably  lack  green  food  as  well.  Cut 
a  quantity  of  your  clover-hay  into  short  lengths  and 
soak  it  in  water  over  night — pouring  the  water  over 
the  hay  boiling  hot — and  mix  this  with  the  mash. 
Buy  a  few  bushels  of  turnips,  some  pumpkins  and 
similar  vegetables  and  feed  these  after  cutting  them 
into  large  pieces.    Each  time  you  go  to  town  bring 


MAKING    WORK    INTO    PLAY  69 

back  some  green  bones  and  scraps  of  meat  from  the 
butcher- shops  and  feed  these  and  the  table-scraps 
freely,  and  I  guess  you'll  find  the  eggs  rapidly  in- 
crease in  number.  With  your  16  leghorns,  you 
should  get  fully  ten  eggs  daily  and  the  Cochins  and 
mixed  breeds  ought  to  lay  ten  more." 

"I  think  you're  giving  too  much  time  to  Tom 
and  neglecting  my  things,"  laughed  Kitty.  "Come 
and  see  what  you  think  of  my  hot-beds  and  cold- 
frames.  ' ' 

"Your  violets  are  doing  finely,"  declared  Ralph 
after  examining  the  healthy  young  plants  in  the 
cold-frames.  "You  should  have  a  good  supply  of 
blooms  all  winter.  And  your  seeds  seem  to  be 
sprouting  well  and  your  bulbs  are  coming  on 
nicely. ' ' 

"How  are  the  cutters  getting  on  in  the  woods?" 
he  asked  presently.  "I  can  hear  the  sound  of  their 
axes." 

"They've  cut  about  fifty  cords,"  replied  Tom. 
"And  do  you  know,  Ralph,  we've  a  grove  of  sugar- 
maples  there." 

"I  hope  you  didn't  let  them  go,"  exclaimed 
Selwin. 

"No,  the  foreman  told  me  of  them  and  I  went  to 
see  Mr.  Walton  about  the  matter.     He  was  very 


70       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

willing  to  let  the  maples  stand.  He  advised  me  to 
have  all  the  brush  cleared  out  to  prevent  fires  and 
also  suggested  getting  rid  of  the  dead  leaves.  He's 
strong  on  preserving  timber  lands." 

"That's  good  advice,"  said  Ralph.  "You'll  find 
a  quantity  of  good  firewood  in  the  brush  and  the 
finest  portions  scattered  in  your  poultry  runs  will 
afford  exercise  for  the  hens  in  scratching,  while 
other  portions  of  the  brush  should  be  saved  for  your 
peas  and  for  bean  poles  in  the  spring.  It  will  be 
a  good  plan  to  start  clearing  out  the  leaves  just  as 
soon  as  possible.  They'll  make  the  best  of  humus 
and  fertilizer  for  your  land  if  left  on  the  ground 
over  winter  and  plowed  into  the  earth  in  the  spring. 
It  would  be  still  better  to  turn  them  under  this  fall 
but  you'll  hardly  have  time  for  that  now." 

"It  seems  like  an  awful  undertaking  to  have  to 
gather  up  all  those  leaves,"  remarked  Tom. 
"There's  such  an  endless  lot  of  them." 

"Don't  think  about  it.  Just  start  right  in  with 
a  will  and  you'll  be  surprised  to  find  how  rapidly 
you  progress,"  advised  Ralph.  "You  can  make 
a  large  leaf  rake,"  he  continued,  "by  driving 
wooden  pegs  into  a  piece  of  wood  attached  to  a 
handle  and  by  loading  the  leaves  into  bags  and 
packing  them  down  you  can  carry  a  great  quantity 


MAKING    WORK    INTO    PLAY  71 

at  a  time  in  the  wagon.  Yon '11  find  there  are  not 
so  many  as  you  think  after  all,  and  every  load  you 
haul  you  can  count  as  money  in  your  pocket  for  the 
leaves  and  decaying  vegetation  and  leaf -mold  among 
them  will  save  many  dollars '  worth  of  fertilizer. ' ' 

"I'll  start  on  that  first  thing  then,"  declared 
Tom,  "and  I  hope  I'll  make  a  better  success  of  it 
than  I  did  at  chopping  wood."  Laughingly  he  re- 
lated his  attempts  on  the  logs. 

"That's  rather  strange,"  remarked  Ralph. 
"Although  it  requires  practice  to  cut  logs  smoothly 
and  rapidly  yet  you  should  have  no  real  difficulty 
in  cutting  up  six-inch  logs." 

"Well,  there  are  the  logs,"  remarked  Tom  as  he 
led  Ralph  to  the  woodshed.  "You  can  see  how 
much  impression  I  made  with  all  my  hard  work." 

His  cousin  stooped  down,  examined  the  log  and 
burst  out  laughing.  "I  don't  wonder  you  gave  up 
in  despair,"  he  exclaimed.  "Those  are  seasoned 
second-growth  white  hickory  and  are  just  about  as 
hard  and  tough  as  iron.  A  sharp  saw's  about  the 
only  thing  that  would  touch  them." 

"They  looked  just  like  any  wood  to  me,"  said 
Tom.  "What  use  are  they  if  you  can't  chop  them 
up?" 

"They're   not   intended    for   firewood,"    replied 


•72       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

Ralph.  "They  were  put  away  here  to  season  for 
timber  and  these  few  logs  are  worth  more  than 
several  cords  of  firewood.  They  are  highly  prized 
by  wagon  and  carriage  builders  and  by  wheelwrights 
and  you'll  have  no  trouble  in  selling  what  you've  on 
hand  here  for  forty  or  fifty  dollars. ' ' 

"Well,  what  do  you  think  of  that?"  cried  Tom. 
"Imagine  trying  to  make  firewood  out  of  logs  worth 
all  that  money. ' ' 

"Your  difficulty  in  chopping  these  logs  has  given 
me  an  idea,"  announced  Ralph  a  little  later. 
1 '  You  '11  have  a  lot  of  cutting  to  do  and  chopping  is 
slow,  hard,  wasteful  work  at  its  best.  I  propose  that 
we  rig  up  a  buzz-saw,  run  it  by  power  and  have  a 
miniature  sawmill." 

"That  would  be  fine  fun,"  agreed  Tom.  "But 
won't  it  be  very  expensive?  Of  course  I  don't  know 
anything  about  such  matters  but  I  imagine  a  saw 
and  the  power  to  run  it  would  cost  an  awful  lot." 

"It  would  if  you  bought  the  outfit  complete," 
replied  the  other,  "but  I've  another  plan.  I  own 
a  small  gasolene  motor  that  was  at  one  time  in  a 
motor  boat  and  you  can  have  that  for  your  power 
plant.  A  saw  mandril  and  pulley  will  cost  only 
three  or  four  dollars  and  a  saw,  capable  of  cutting 
any  logs  you'll  want  to  saw,  should  not  cost  over 


MAKING    WORK   INTO    PLAY  73 

eight  or  ten  dollars  more.  I'll  show  you  how  to 
build  a  saw-table  and  we  can  set  up  the  motor  and 
saw  in  the  woodshed.  I  '11  bring  out  the  motor  when 
I  come  with  my  luggage  to-morrow  morning  and  if 
you  wish  I'll  buy  the  saw  and  fittings  and  save  you 
a  trip  to  town  and  by  night  we  ought  to  have  the 
saw-table  done  and  the  motor  set  up  and  ready  to 
run. ' ' 

"It's  lucky  you're  here  to  help  me,"  declared 
Tom.  ' '  I  don 't  know  the  first  thing  about  machinery 
or  motors  but  I  love  to  see  such  things  work.  I  used 
to  watch  the  sawmill  near  Fred  Barton's  for  hours 
at  a  time." 

"If  you  like  machinery  you'll  have  no  trouble  in 
understanding  it,"  said  Ralph.  "A  gasolene  mo- 
tor's a  very  simple  machine,  once  you  understand 
its  principles,  and  you'll  be  surprised  to  find  how 
many  uses  you  can  put  power  to  on  a  farm.  You'll 
be  able  to  run  a  grindstone,  saw  your  wood,  churn 
your  butter — after  you  have  a  cow — grind  your  meal 
for  the  poultry,  cut  bones  for  them,  and  pump  water 
from  your  well — all  without  manual  labor  on  your 
part  and  with  an  immense  saving  of  time." 

"Well,  that's  what  I  consider  scientific  farming," 
cried  Tom. 

"It's  modern,  sensible  farming  anyway,"  agreed 


74       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

Ralph,  "and  after  all  the  man  who  saves  himself 
the  most  and  takes  every  advantage  of  modern  in- 
ventions, mechanics  and  science  is  the  man  who  suc- 
ceeds the  best  in  the  end." 

"Couldn't  I  be  working  at  the  saw-table  until 
you  bring  the  motor  and  saw?"  asked  Tom.  "That 
might  save  time  and  would  give  me  something  to 
do  that  will  count.  It  makes  me  feel  really  helpless 
not  to  be  able  to  accomplish  more  without  aid." 

"That's  a  good  idea.  Of  course  you  can  go  ahead 
on  the  table,"  replied  Ralph.  "Make  a  frame  of 
scantling — 2x3  or  3x3  that  the  carpenters  left  here — 
about  four  feet  wide  and  five  feet  long  and  fasten 
a  stout  support  of  scantling  in  each  corner — like 
this."  With  pencil  and  paper  he  rapidly  sketched 
the  plan  and  dimensions.  "Nail  planks  around  the 
legs, ' '  he  continued, ' '  and  cover  the  top  with  smooth 
boards  leaving  a  space  of  3-8  inch  between  the 
boards  in  the  center  of  the  table  for  the  saw.  Don't 
be  afraid  to  use  plenty  of  nails,  Tom;  strength  is 
required  more  than  fine  work,  but  take  care  to  have 
the  corners  true  and  the  top  smooth  and  level. ' ' 

"That  certainly  looks  easy,"  remarked  Tom, 
studying  the  sketch.  "I'll  get  to  work  at  it  first 
thing. ' ' 

"I  think  it's  perfectly  wonderful  that  you  know 


MAKING    WORK    INTO    PLAY 


75 


how  to  do  all  these  things, ' '  exclaimed  Kitty.  ' '  How 
on  earth  did  you  ever  learn  and  how  can  you  remem- 
ber them  all,  Cousin  Ralph?" 

"Observation  and  a  good  memory,  Kitty," 
laughed  Ealph.  "That's  a  combination  that's  hard 
to  beat.    But  I  expect  within  a  year  you  and  Tom 


Saw-table 

will  know  far  more  than  I  about  farming,  for  after 
all  experience  counts  more  than  anything  else." 

Tom  commenced  work  on  the  saw-table  as  soon 
as  Ealph  left  and  labored  industriously  until  forced 
to  stop  on  account  of  darkness.  He  resumed  work 
the  first  thing  in  the  morning  and  by  the  time  his 
cousin  arrived  the  table  was  completed. 

"That  doesn't  look  like  much  of  an  engine,"  re- 
marked Tom  as  he  helped  Ralph  lift  the  motor  from 
his  car.  "And  there  isn't  anything  to  it  hardly.  I 
thought  motors  were  all  cluttered  up  with  machinery 
and  pipes  and  things.  That's  the  way  they  look  in 
an  automobile." 


76       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

" There's  a  big  difference  in  motors,"  replied 
Ralph.  "This  is  the  simplest  form  there  is.  It's 
known  as  a  single  cylinder,  two-cycle  motor.  Auto- 
mobiles are  usually  equipped  with  four,  six  or  even 
eight-cylinder,  four-cycle  motors.  In  two-cycle,  or 
more  properly  two-stroke  motors,  there  are  but  three 
moving  parts  which  are  absolutely  essential.  One  of 
these  is  the  shaft  to  which  the  fly-wheel  is  attached 
and  which  is  in  the  form  of  a  crank  inside  of  the 
base  of  the  motor,  the  second  is  the  piston  which 
fits  tightly  within  the  cylinder  and  the  third  is  the 
connecting-rod  which  is  attached  to  the  piston  at 
one  end  and  is  clamped  to  the  crank  at  the  other." 

"I  can't  understand  why  it  should  run  and  give 
power, ' '  commented  Tom.  l ' It 's  always  been  a  mys- 
tery to  me.  I  can  see  how  steam  makes  a  steam 
engine  go  but  gasolene  motors  are  a  puzzle. ' ' 

"You'll  find  it  simple  enough,"  said  Ralph.  "As 
we  set  up  the  motor  I'll  explain  what  each  attach- 
ment is  for  and  then  I'll  make  you  a  sectional  sketch 
and  you  '11  readily  grasp  the  principles  of  the  motor. 
Once  you  understand  this  engine  you'll  find  others 
very  easy." 

Tom  and  Ralph  worked  busily  and  first  prepared 
a  bed  for  the  motor,  consisting  of  two  heavy  timbers 
firmly  bolted  to  the  sills  of  the  woodshed.    Across 


MAKING    WORK    INTO    PLAY  77 

these,  two  lighter  timbers  were  firmly  fastened,  just 
far  enough  apart  to  permit  the  motor  to  set  between 
them  with  the  plates  on  its  base  resting  on  the  tim- 
bers. Lag-screws  were  driven  through  the  holes  in 
the  plates  and  the  motor  was  thus  secured  immov- 
ably to  its  bed.  "It  may  seem  as  if  the  bed  is  far 
stronger  than  necessary,"  remarked  Ealph,  "but 
even  a  small  motor  will  shake  and  vibrate  badly  on 
a  poor  or  light  support  and  a  firm  bed  is  most  im- 
portant." 

A  heavy  pipe  was  then  attached  to  one  side  of  the 
motor  and  led  out  through  the  wall  of  the  shed. 
"That's  the  exhaust  pipe,"  explained  Ealph,  "and 
if  we  leave  it  as  it  is  the  motor  will  operate  but  will 
make  a  tremendous  noise,  for  the  burning  gases, 
after  driving  the  piston,  issue  from  the  exhaust  un- 
der great  pressure.  To  stop  the  noise  a  silencer 
or  muffler  is  used  on  automobiles  and  motor  boats, 
but  for  your  purpose  a  hole  in  the  ground  covered 
loosely  with  boards  will  serve  every  purpose." 

At  his  cousin's  direction  Tom  now  attached  the 
fuel  tank,  consisting  of  a  5-gallon  oil  can,  to  a  shelf 
well  above  the  motor  and  a  slender  copper  pipe  was 
carried  from  this  to  a  brass  device  which  Ealph 
screwed  onto  one  side  of  the  engine. 

"This  is  known  as  a  'carburetor',"  he  said,  "and 


78       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

its  purpose  is  to  combine  the  gasolene  and  air  in 
such  proportions  as  to  render  it  highly  combust- 
ible." 

"The  next  step  is  to  find  a  tank  for  the  water," 
said  Ralph  as  he  finished  connecting  the  feed-pipe 
with  the  carburetor.  -  -  That  empty  cider  keg  in  the 
lumber  room  will  be  just  the  thing." 

The  keg  was  set  upright  on  a  rough  cleat  frame 
slightly  higher  than  the  motor  from  which  two  pieces 
of  ^-inch  pipe  were  led  to  the  keg,  one  entering 
the  bunghole  and  the  other  a  hole  bored  through 
the  side  of  the  keg  close  to  the  lower  end. 

"What  on  earth  is  that  for?"  asked  Tom. 

"To  keep  the  motor  cool,"  replied  his  cousin. 
"This  is  a  water-cooled  motor  and  a  constant  stream 
of  water  is  kept  circulating  between  the  cylinder 
and  this  outer  shell  known  as  the  water-jacket.  The 
burning  gases  in  the  cylinder  create  an  enormously 
high  temperature  and  some  means  must  always  be 
devised  to  keep  the  motor  reasonably  cool.  A  great 
many  motors  designed  for  stationary  use  are  pro- 
vided with  fins  or  flanges  on  the  cylinders  which 
radiate  the  heat  and  cool  the  motor.  They  are  called 
air-cooled  motors,  but  most  automobile  motors,  boat 
motors  and  many  stationary  motors  are  cooled  by 
water." 


MAKING    WORK    INTO    PLAY  79 

"I  think  I've  seen  air-cooled  motors  on  motor- 
cycles," remarked  Tom.  "I've  often  wondered  why 
they  had  those  ridges  over  them. ' ' 

"Yes,  the  majority  of  motorcycles  are  equipped 
with  air-cooled  motors  and  some  automobiles  also 
use  them." 

"Won't  the  water  freeze  out  here  in  winter1?" 
asked  Tom. 

"It  will  unless  we  add  some  anti-freezing  mixture 
to  it,"  replied  Ealph.  "Denatured  alcohol  is  as 
good  as  anything  and  I  brought  a  gallon  along  with 
me." 

As  he  talked  he  was  busy  screwing  oil-cups  into 
position  and  explained  to  Tom  the  importance  of 
keeping  the  motor  well  oiled  and  the  necessity  of 
using  the  right  kind  of  oil  and  the  proper  quantity. 
"And  now  for  the  electrical  equipment,"  he  re- 
marked as  the  last  lubricator  was  in  place. 

To  Tom,  the  several  wires,  the  batteries  and  the 
neat  wooden  coil-box  were  deep  mysteries  but  as 
Ealph  attached  the  wires  he  explained  the  use  and 
principle  of  each  so  simply  and  fully  that  his  com- 
panion had  no  difficulty  in  understanding  them  and 
even  Kitty,  who  stood  near  by,  intently  watching  the 
work  proceed,  declared  she  believed  she  understood 
all  about  the  motor  herself. 


80       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

' '  The  majority  of  motor  troubles  are  due  to  elec- 
trical deficiencies,"  remarked  Ralph.  "So  it's  im- 
portant that  this  portion  of  the  equipment  is  well 
understood  and  is  maintained  in  perfect  condition. 
The  batteries  furnish  the  current  on  this  motor,  but 
in  order  to  produce  a  spark  of  sufficient  size  and 
heat  to  ignite  the  gas  in  the  cylinder  the  current  is 
increased  by  means  of  this  device  called  a  coil. 
From  the  coil  the  intensified,  powerful  current  is 
led  to  the  spark-plug  and  a  bright  hot  spark  is 
produced  when  a  connection  is  made  with  the  bat- 
teries ;  see  here, ' '  and  Ralph  touched  a  wire  to  the 
motor  and  pointed  to  the  bright,  blue,  snapping 
spark  that  appeared  between  the  two  terminals  of 
the  plug. 

"This  spark  occurs  inside  the  motor  each  time 
the  wheel  and  shaft  reach  a  certain  point  in  their 
revolution, ' '  continued  Ralph  as  he  screwed  the  plug 
into  the  top  of  the  cylinder,  ' '  and  the  spark  igniting 
the  charge  of  gas  causes  an  explosion  which  drives 
the  piston  down  the  cylinder  and  gives  impetus  and 
power  to  the  shaft." 

"Why,  it's  just  like  firing  off  a  gun,"  exclaimed 
Tom.  "But  how  do  you  load  the  cylinder  in  the 
first  place,  and  what  keeps  it  going?" 

"It  is  very  similar  to  the  explosion  in  a  gun  as 


MAKING    WORK    INTO    PLAY  81 

you  suggest,"  replied  the  other,  "and  in  fact  the 
first  internal  combustion  motors,  as  they  are  tech- 
nically termed,  were  designed  to  be  operated  by 
gunpowder.  The  cylinder  is  charged  or  'loaded' 
as  you  express  it,  by  turning  the  wheel  over  in  this 
manner  by  hand."  Ralph  rocked  the  wheel  back 
and  forth.  ' '  This  moves  the  piston  up  and  down  in 
the  cylinder  and  sucks  in  a  charge  of  air  and  fuel 
from  the  carburetor.  Then  when  the  wheel  is 
brought  completely  over  the  charge  is  fired  and  the 
momentum  of  the  fly-wheel  carries  the  shaft  clear 
around,  draws  in  a  second  charge  and  carries  the 
piston  to  the  point  where  the  new  charge  is  ignited. 
This  keeps  on  over  and  over  again  until  the  fuel  or 
the  electrical  current  is  cut  off. ' ' 

* '  Then  the  only  power  the  motor  receives  is  on  the 
downward  movement  of  the  piston, ' '  remarked  Tom 
who  had  been  watching  and  listening  attentively. 

"Exactly,"  exclaimed  Ralph,  "and  let  me  com- 
pliment you,  Tom,  on  so  quickly  grasping  the  idea. 
This  is  the  reason  why  this  type  of  motor  is  known 
as  a  two-stroke  or  two-cycle  engine — because  a 
power  impulse  occurs  on  every  two  strokes  of  the 
piston.  The  details  of  how  the  charge  is  taken  in 
and  how  the  exhaust  escapes  you  can  readily  under- 
stand by  this  sketch."    Ralph  drew  an  outline  in 


UNCLE    ABNER'S    LEGACY 


Two-stroke  Motor 


chalk  on  the  wall  showing  the  motor  in  section. 
"This  opening  here  marked  A  represents  the  car- 
buretor," he  continued,  "and  as  the  piston  moves 


MAKING    WORK    INTO    PLAY  83 

up  in  the  cylinder  the  suction  draws  a  charge  of 
gas  into  the  base  below  the  cylinder.  The  piston 
then  commences  to  descend  and  the  enclosed  gas, 
unable  to  escape  through  the  check-valve  on  the 
carburetor,  is  forced  up  through  this  opening  B,  and 
rushes  through  a  hole  in  the  cylinder  walls  which 
I'll  mark  D,  and  fills  the  space  above  the  piston.  At 
the  same  time  the  burnt  gases  rush  out  through  the 
opening  I'll  mark  C.  The  piston  then  commences 
to  ascend  and  covers  both  C  and  D,  thus  confining 
the  fresh  charge  in  the  cylinder  and  compressing  it 
until  the  spark  takes  places  and  the  explosion  again 
drives  the  piston  down." 

"Why,  it's  just  like  an  automatic  pistol,"  cried 
Tom.  "After  the  first  shot  it  keeps  on  going  as 
long  as  the  ammunition  lasts." 

"Your  comparison  isn't  bad,"  laughed  Ralph. 
"But  now  that  we've  mastered  the  principles  of 
our  motor  let's  get  the  saw  set  up." 

This  was  an  easy  job  for  it  was  merely  necessary 
to  bolt  the  bearings  of  the  saw-mandril  to  the  lower 
side  of  the  table,  slip  the  saw  through  the  slot  be- 
tween the  boards  and  place  the  pulley  on  the  shaft. 

"Now  to  connect  the  belt,"  said  Ralph.  "Fill  up 
the  fuel  and  water  tanks  and  we'll  be  ready  to  try 
our  sawmill." 


84       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

1 1  Why  do  you  have  a  big  pulley  on  the  motor  and 
such  a  little  one  on  the  saw-shaft?"  asked  Tom  as 
he  watched  his  cousin  adjusting  the  strip  of  belting 
about  the  two  pulleys. 

"To  gain  speed,"  replied  the  other.  "A  buzz  saw 
must  run  at  very  high  speed  and  by  carrying  the 
belt  from  a  large  pulley  to  a  smaller  one  we  increase 
the  number  of  revolutions  at  the  saw.  By  doing  this 
we  lose  some  power  and  we  would  secure  better 
results  by  carrying  the  belt  from  a  small  pulley  on 
the  motor  to  a  large  pulley  on  a  shaft  overhead 
and  then  carrying  a  second  belt  from  another  pulley 
on  that  shaft  to  a  smaller  pulley  on  the  saw.  We 
will  do  that  eventually  but  I  'm  connecting  the  motor 
directly  to  the  saw  now  merely  for  a  test." 

The  tanks  were  now  filled,  the  lubricators  pro- 
vided with  oil  and  the  switch  turned  on  and  Ralph 
rocked  the  wheel  slightly,  threw  it  quickly  up  and 
with  a  sputter  and  cough  the  motor  chugged  mer- 
rily. The  belt  whirred  and  slapped  but  the  saw 
remained  still. 

"Why,  the  saw  isn't  running,"  cried  Tom. 

"Of  course  not,"  laughed  Ralph.  "The  shaft 
carries  a  tight  and  a  loose  pulley  which  makes  it 
easy  to  start  the  motor  and  obviates  danger.  To 
start  the  saw  it  is  merely  necessary  to  swing  the 


MAKING    WORK    INTO    PLAY  85 

belt  onto  the  other  pulley  in  this  way. "  As  he  spoke 
he  pushed  the  belt  sideways  with  a  smooth  stick. 
Instantly  the  saw  sprang  into  rapid  motion  and 
hummed  like  a  gigantic  bumble  bee. 

Seizing  a  stout  piece  of  timber  lying  near,  Ealph 
pushed  it  across  the  table  and  with  a  whirr  and  a 
ring  the  saw  severed  it  as  if  it  were  a  straw. 

" Hurrah!"  shouted  Tom  and  Kitty  clapped  her 
hands  and  cried  ' '  Splendid ! ' ' 

Tom  grabbed  a  stick  and  tried  his  hand  and  even 
Kitty  delightedly  pushed  a  piece  of  board  across 
the  table  against  the  hungry  saw. 

" That's  enough  for  to-night,  I  guess,"  said  Ralph 
after  all  the  available  pieces  of  wood  in  the  shed 
had  been  cut  into  short  lengths.  "But  if  you  wish 
we'll  give  the  saw  a  good  test  and  try  that  hickory 
log  you  spoiled,  Tom." 

"Well,  if  the  saw '11  cut  that  I'll  be  satisfied," 
declared  Tom. 

Picking  up  the  log  the  two  placed  it  on  the  table. 

"Easy  now,"  cautioned  Ralph.  "You  hold  one 
end  and  I'll  hold  the  other,  but  don't  feed  it  too 
fast.  Just  press  it  slowly  and  gently  against  the 
saw  and  be  careful  to  keep  it  straight.  Later  on 
we'll  fix  up  a  carrier  for  large  logs.  All  ready, 
Tom?" 


86       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

Slowly  they  pushed  the  log  forward  until  it 
touched  the  saw.  The  saw  growled  and  bit  into  the 
wood  and  while  it  slowed  down  somewhat  it  con- 
tinued to  revolve  and  slowly  but  surely  penetrated 
deeper  and  deeper  into  the  log  and  in  a  moment 
more  passed  the  center  and  with  a  final,  roaring 
whirr  burst  through  the  tough  hickory  and  left  Tom 
and  Ealph  each  with  a  severed  section  of  the  log- 
in their  hands. 

"Well,  I  call  that  simply  wonderful,"  cried  Tom. 
"There  I  worked  for  an  hour  and  more  chopping 
away  at  that  log  without  making  any  impression 
on  it  and  this  little  motor  and  saw  cuts  it  in  two  in 
less  than  a  minute.  Gee!  what  a  lot  of  labor  that 
will  save." 

"Yes,  it's  the  triumph  of  brains  and  science  over 
brute  force,"  remarked  Ralph  as  he  shut  off  the 
motor. 


CHAPTER  VI 

A   WELCOME   MARAUDER 

For  several  weeks  nothing  of  great  importance 
occurred.  Selwin  now  resided  at  the  farm  and  even 
on  rainy,  chilly  days  Tom  found  plenty  to  do  with 
his  cousin's  help.  The  leaves  had  been  gathered 
from  the  woods  and  spread  upon  the  ground  des- 
tined for  a  kitchen  garden;  the  brush  had  been 
cleared  up  and  stacked  in  piles  and  a  large  portion 
had  been  brought  to  the  farm,  where  a  quantity  was 
put  over  the  leaves  to  hold  them  on  the  garden.  The 
choppers  finished  their  work  and  beside  the  house 
fifteen  cords  of  wood  were  stacked  in  symmetrical 
piles  which  gave  the  place  a  wonderful  appearance 
of  thrift  and  comfort.  The  hens  were  laying  well 
and  Kitty  was  delighted  at  the  returns  from  their 
eggs  at  a  season  when  fresh  eggs  were  extremely 
scarce  in  the  markets  and  brought  a  high  price. 
Mr.  Grayson  had  received  his  load  of  birch  and 
hickory  and  the  motor  sawmill  was  proving  a  won- 
derful aid  and  its  cheerful,  busy  sound  could  be 

87 


88       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

heard  nearly  every  day  for  both  Tom  and  Kitty  de- 
lighted in  seeing  it  cut  through  the  tough  cordwood. 
Several  of  Mr.  Grayson's  friends  wished  to  secure 
a  supply  of  wood  and  Tom  talked  over  the  matter 
with  Ralph. 

"I  think  you  can  easily  secure  enough  to  fill  all  the 
orders  without  robbing  the  woodland,"  said  his 
cousin.  "There  are  a  number  of  the  nut  trees  which 
will  be  improved  by  trimming  and  pruning,  and  I 
noticed  that  in  a  good  many  places  the  young  growth 
was  really  too  thick.  Suppose  we  take  a  stroll 
through  the  woods  and  see  just  what  can  be  done. 

"It  wouldn't  do  any  harm  to  cut  a  firebreak 
through  here,"  remarked  Ealph,  as  they  reached  the 
center  of  the  big  stretch  of  timber.  ' '  That  land  on 
the  hillside  adjoining  yours  is  covered  with  dead 
stuff  and  brush  and  leaves.  If  it  should  catch  fire 
with  the  wind  in  this  direction  it  might  sweep  your 
woods,  and  while  you've  cleaned  up  pretty  well,  still 
you  might  lose  a  lot  of  timber  if  the  fire  occurred 
after  a  dry  spell." 

"What  do  you  mean  by  a  firebreak?"  asked  Tom. 

"Just  a  straight  opening  cleared  of  all  growth 
and  extending  from  one  edge  of  the  woods  to  the 
other,"  replied  his  cousin.  "That  will  prevent  the 
flames  from  traveling  from  tree  to  tree  in  case  of  a 


A   WELCOME   MARAUDER  89 

fire,  and  any  falling  sparks  or  firebrands  can  be 
extinguished  before  they  obtain  much  headway.  By 
cutting  the  swath  through  the  woods  you  will  not 
only  secure  an  additional  safeguard  from  fire,  but 
will  obtain  many  cords  of  wood  at  the  same  time.  If 
it  is  cut  through  this  spot  you'll  scarcely  need  to 
destroy  any  valuable  trees." 

"I  think  that's  a  fine  scheme,"  agreed  Tom,  "but 
there  isn't  much  birch  and  hickory  here." 

"That's  true,"  answered  his  cousin,  "but  you 
can  sell  all  the  birch  and  hickory  you  have  on  hand 
and  replace  it  with  the  wood  you  cut  here,  and  be- 
sides I  think  you  can  get  out  a  number  of  cords  by 
careful  selection  through  the  woods.  It  will  be  quite 
a  job  to  get  it  out  just  now,  but  if  it's  cut  and  ready 
you  can  haul  it  easily  after  a  good  snowfall,  and  in 
the  meantime  deliver  what  you  have  on  hand." 

This  was  decided  upon  and  in  the  afternoon  Sel- 
win  went  to  town  and  hired  a  couple  of  good  wood- 
cutters whom  Mr.  Walton  recommended.  They  had 
been  working  but  a  few  days  when  the  first  snow  of 
the  season  commenced  to  fall,  and  for  two  days  the 
storm  continued  until  the  landscape  was  hidden  be- 
neath a  six-inch  mantle  of  snow  and  the  countryside 
was  transformed  into  a  veritable  fairy  land. 

"There's  not  much  to  be  done  outside  until  the 


90       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

storm  ceases, ' '  remarked  Ralph,  during  the  first  day 
of  the  snowfall.  "And  it  looks  to  me  like  a  good 
old-fashioned  snowstorm.  It's  a  good  time  to  get 
ready  to  haul  your  wood,  Tom,  and  if  you're  willing 
we'll  get  to  work  and  build  a  sled." 

The  roomy  woodshed  was  selected  as  the  work- 
shop, and  Tom  and  his  cousin  were  soon  at  work. 
"This  isn't  going  to  be  a  fancy  vehicle,"  announced 
Ralph.  "But  it  will  serve  your  purpose  just  as 
well,  and,  what's  more,  it  won't  cost  anything  but 
the  labor." 

A  dozen  straight,  young,  hickory  saplings,  about 
twelve  feet  in  length  and  two  inches  in  diameter, 
were  first  selected  from  a  pile  of  poles  and  the  bark 
was  peeled  from  them  and  all  stubs  of  branches 
trimmed  off  and  planed  smooth.  Six  of  these  were 
placed  side  by  side  upon  the  floor  and  were  cleated 
firmly  together  with  short  pieces  of  oak.  The  other 
six  were  then  treated  the  same  way  and,  to  Tom's 
question,  Ralph  replied  that  these  were  "for  run- 
ners." "The  sled  will  be  a  sort  of  double  tobog- 
gan," he  explained,  "and  will  run  on  the  snow  in- 
stead of  cutting  through  it.  "We  could  make  a  reg- 
ular sledge  with  narrow  runners  which  would  do 
finely  after  the  snow  is  broken  down  and  packed,  but 


A  WELCOME   MARAUDER 


91 


this  will  be  far  better  for  work  in  the  woods  and  on 
the  soft  snow." 

From  the  odds  and  ends  left  by  the  carpenters 
four  pieces  of  two-inch  plank  were  then  selected, 
each  four  feet  in  length  and  in  each  of  these,  short 
sections  of  hickory  poles  were  set  at  an  angle  by 
boring  holes  in  the  planks  and  driving  the  ends  of 
the  sticks  into  them. 


The  Sled 

"Those  look  like  little  old  fashioned  benches," 
remarked  Tom  as  the  planks  with  their  "legs"  of 
round  sticks  were  set  aside. 

"They're  to  serve  as  the  crosspieces  to  your 
sled, ' '  replied  Ralph,  and  with  Tom 's  help  he  placed 
them  across  from  one  of  the  runners  to  the  other 
with  the  straddling  "legs"  resting"  on  the  cleats 
already  attached  to  the  runners.  With  chalk,  the 
spot  where  each  leg  rested  was  marked  and  holes 
were  then  bored  in  the  cleats.    The  crosspieces  were 


92  UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

then  replaced,  the  legs  driven  firmly  into  the  holes 
and  nailed  and  Tom  was  greatly  surprised  to  find 
how  firm  and  rigid  the  framework  was.  The  next 
step  was  to  board  over  the  framework  with  pieces 
of  plank  nailed  firmly  at  right  angles  to  the  cross- 
pieces  and  a  stout  piece  of  timber  was  then  bolted 
across  one  end  of  these  boards. 

"Now  comes  the  hardest  part  of  the  work,"  re- 
marked Selwin,  and  with  his  cousin's  help  one  end 
of  each  pole  forming  the  runners  was  bent  upward 
and  nailed  to  the  cross  timber.  Another  stout  cross- 
piece  was  bolted  in  front  of  the  ends  of  the  poles,  a 
pair  of  shafts  was  attached  to  the  forward  end  of 
the  affair,  upright  posts  were  set  along  the  top  and 
Ealph  pronounced  the  sled  complete. 

Tom  could  scarcely  wait  to  give  the  sled  a  trial 
and  first  thing  the  next  morning  he  brought  the 
horse  to  the  woodshed  and  harnessed  him  to  the 
odd  vehicle.  The  sled  was  a  great  success  and  trav- 
eled smoothly  and  easily  over  the  snow  as  Ealph  had 
predicted. 

"While  the  horse  is  hitched  up  we  might  as  well 
bring  in  a  few  loads  of  wood,"  remarked  Tom. 
"Come  along,  Ralph;  jump  aboard  and  we'll  drive 
over  to  the  woods." 

"Let  me  come,  too,"  cried  Kitty.    "It  will  be  my 


A  WELCOME   MARAUDER  93 

first  sleighride  and  I'm  as  crazy  as  a  child  to  get 
out  in  the  snow." 

The  woods  were  really  beautiful  and  Kitty  was 
entranced  at  the  delicate,  lace-like  appearance  of  the 
twigs  and  branches  sharply  outlined  by  their  coat- 
ing of  clinging  snow. 

Tom  and  Ralph  set  to  work  diligently,  placing  the 
cordwood  on  the  sled  until  it  was  piled  high  with 
the  logs. 

"What  are  all  these  queer  marks  in  the  snow?" 
asked  Kitty. 

"They're  footprints  of  wild  things,"  replied  her 
cousin,  "birds  and  animals  of  many  kinds." 

"Why  I  didn't  suppose  there  were  enough  crea- 
tures in  the  woods  to  make  so  many  tracks,"  ex- 
claimed Tom,  "the  snow's  just  covered  with  them." 

"Few  people  realize  how  abundant  life  really  is 
in  the  woods,"  said  Ralph,  "for  the  wild  things  keep 
out  of  sight  and  many  of  them  hide  away  during  the 
day  and  only  come  forth  after  dark.  It's  an  inter- 
esting matter  to  study  these  autographs  left  behind 
by  the  denizens  of  the  winter  woods.  They  often 
tell  us  a  great  deal  of  the  creatures'  lives  and 
habits. ' ' 

"I  don't  see  how  you  can  tell  anything  about  the 
creatures  by  these  marks,"  remarked  Tom.    "They 


94       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

look  like  so  many  holes  and  lines  in  the  snow  to 
me." 

"  That's  because  you've  not  learned  to  recognize 
and  distinguish  them,"  replied  Selwin.  " Let's 
stroll  a  short  distance  into  the  woods  and  I'll  try 
to  show  you  how  much  the  trails  tell  us  and  how 
easy  it  is  to  read  the  story  written  on  the  snow." 

"Here,"  he  remarked  as  he  stopped  and  pointed 
to  three,  rounded  imprints  arranged  in  a  sort  of 
triangle,  "is  the  trail  of  a  rabbit.  Follow  them 
back  and  we'll  no  doubt  find  the  hiding  place  from 
which  he  started  forth,  but  that  is  of  less  interest 
than  to  follow  his  tracks  and  see  where  he  went." 
Leading  the  way  Ealph  traced  the  rabbit's  track 
around  trees  and  over  stumps  and  logs  for  some 
distance.  "Here  he  stopped  to  gnaw  at  this  young 
birch  shoot,"  he  said  as  he  pointed  to  the  barked 
stem  with  the  tiny  chips  of  bark  on  the  snow  beside 
it,  "and  here,"  he  continued,  "the  little  fellow  dug 
through  the  snow  to  secure  some  morsel  beneath." 
Ealph  showed  his  two  cousins  a  little  hollow  scraped 
through  the  snow  to  the  earth  below.  A  little  far- 
ther on  he  stopped  and  exclaimed:  "Ah,  the  story 
is  getting  interesting ;  our  little  friend  has  an  enemy 
trailing  his  footsteps.  See  these  larger,  circular 
tracks?    Those  are  the  marks  left  by  a  hungry  fox 


A  WELCOME   MARAUDER  95 

who  has  scented  the  rabbit  and  is  following  after 
to  secure  a  nice  meal." 

"Poor  little  rabbit,"  cried  Kitty.  "I  do  hope 
the  fox  doesn't  catch  him." 

"We'll  soon  find  out,"  said  her  cousin.  "See,  the 
rabbit  knows  he's  being  followed  and  is  hurrying. 
You  can  tell  by  the  fact  that  the  triangles  that 
mark  his  jumps  are  farther  apart  and  the  hind 
feet  reach  ahead  of  the  forefeet."  Ralph  stopped 
and  explained  the  signs  to  Tom  and  Kitty  who  had 
become  intensely  interested. 

For  some  distance  the  three  followed  the  two 
trails  until  they  led  to  the  edge  of  a  tiny,  open 
glade. 

"Here's  the  end  of  the  story,"  announced  Ralph, 
pointing  to  a  disturbed,  tumbled  spot  on  the  snow. 
"The  fox  was  too  late,  his  tracks  cease  on  the  edge 
of  the  clearing  and  turn  and  swing  off  to  the  left, 
but  the  little  rabbit  met  with  a  sad  fate  just  the 
same.  Notice  these  tiny  blood-stains  and  these  fan- 
like impressions  on  the  snow.  They  tell  the  tale 
just  as  plainly  as  if  it  were  printed  on  a  page  of 
paper.  The  rabbit,  hurrying  across  the  glade,  was 
spied  by  a  waiting  owl,  who  swooped  down  from 
above  and  seized  his  prey  from  beneath  the  very 
jaws  of  hungry  Mr.  Fox  who,  robbed  of  his  break- 


96       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

fast,  turned  about  and  hurried  off  in  search  of  other 
victims. ' ' 

' '  Isn  't  that  marvelous ! ' '  exclaimed  Kitty. 

"And  to  think  I  might  have  tramped  over  these 
woods  for  a  week  and  would  never  have  known  that 
these  marks  in  the  snow  meant  anything  at  all," 
said  Tom. 

"But  I  still  don't  see  how  you  can  tell  it  was  an 
owl  that  caught  the  poor  rabbit,"  remarked  Kitty. 

"That's  easy,"  laughed  Ealph.  "Only  a  hawk 
or  an  owl  would  have  swooped  down  upon  him  and 
the  marks  left  in  the  snow  show  rounded  wings 
and  soft  feathers.  A  hawk's  wing  would  be  pointed 
and  the  feathers  are  stiff." 

"I  can  see  that  now,"  remarked  Tom,  "but  it's 
evident  one  has  to  know  a  lot  about  natural  history 
to  read  these  'snow  stories,'  as  you  call  them." 

"Observation  will  soon  teach  you  all  this  and 
more,"  replied  Selwin,  and  as  they  strolled  back 
towards  the  sledge  he  pointed  out  the  tracks  of 
mice,  squirrels,  crows  and  even  the  spot  where  a 
grouse  had  broken  through  the  snow  which  had  cov- 
ered him  and  had  flown  off  to  his  feeding  grounds. 

Although  the  sled  was  heavily  loaded  the  horse 
had  no  difficulty  in  hauling  it  across  the  fields  to 


Calling  the  boys  to  lunch 


A  WELCOME   MARAUDER  97 

the  farmhouse  and  a  number  of  trips  were  made 
before  Kitty  summoned  Tom  and  Ralph  to  lunch. 

When  the  snow  at  last  ceased  falling  and  they 
were  tired  of  hauling  wood  Ralph  suggested  that 
they  should  " break  a  track"  through  the  road. 

"Farmers  always  take  pride  in  being  the  first  to 
break  a  road  with  their  teams, ' '  he  explained,  ' '  and 
I'll  warrant  that  none  of  the  neighbors  have  gone 
over  the  road  with  their  heavy,  narrow-runnered 
sleighs  or  sleds  yet." 

"Bully!  We'll  show  them  something  new  in 
sleds,"  cried  Tom,  and  in  a  very  short  time  the 
three  were  traveling  merrily  over  the  snow-covered 
road  toward  town  and  leaving  a  broad,  hard-packed 
trail  behind  them. 

Gran'ther  Joe  was  busy  hitching  his  horse  to  a 
huge,  weighty  sledge  when  they  reached  his  house 
and  looked  up  in  surprise  at  their  cheery  greeting. 

"Well,  I  declare!"  he  exclaimed.  "Ef  ye  hain't 
licked  all  us  old  sittlers  a  gittin'  through  before 
enny  on  us.  Where  in  Sam  Hill  did  ye  git  that  there 
bob  ennyhow?" 

"Made  it,  ye  say;  well,  well,  'tis  a  queer  lookin' 
contraption,  I'll  be  bound.  Hauled  three  cord  o' 
wood  on  it  this  mornin',  ye  say.     Consarn  it  all! 


98       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

Eeckon  I'll  hev  to  make  one  like  it  myself.  Ain't 
nothin'  like  book  larnin'  arter  all." 

Clear  to  the  state  road  and  the  trolley  line  the 
party  drove  and  then  retracing  their  way  they  con- 
tinued on  past  their  farm  until  they  reached  the 
crossroads.  At  every  house  they  passed  they  were 
greeted  with  surprise  and  each  and  every  farmer 
declared  the  new  sled  a  huge  success  and  all  vowed 
they'd  make  others  after  the  same  pattern. 

"I  knew  we  could  make  these  farmers  sit  up  and 
take  notice,"  declared  Tom  as  with  hearty  appetites 
and  glowing  cheeks  they  reentered  the  house. 
"We've  scored  with  the  sled,  thanks  to  you,  Cousin 
Ralph.  I  wonder  what  Uncle  Ab.  would  have 
thought  of  it." 

The  next  morning  Tom  went  forth  as  usual  to 
feed  his  hens  but  in  a  moment  or  two  came  rush- 
ing back. 

"Do  come  here,  Ralph,"  he  cried.  "One  of  my 
hens  is  missing  and  the  others  are  frightened  half 
to  death  and  the  snow's  covered  with  blood  and 
feathers. ' ' 

Selwin  hurried  to  the  poultry  yards  with  Tom, 
who  pointed  to  a  "trampled,  blood-spattered  area  of 
snow  just  within  the  netting  enclosure  and  to  a  trail 


A  WELCOME   MARAUDER  99 

of  tiny  red  spots  leading  away  from  the  yards  to- 
ward the  fields. 

"Our  woodlot  prowler  the  fox  has  made  you  a 
visit,"  announced  Ealph  after  a  short  examination 
of  the  tell-tale  tracks. 

"But  how  on  earth  did  he  get  into  the  houses'?" 
asked  Tom,  puzzled. 

His  cousin  glanced  about  for  a  moment.  "You 
furnished  him  with  a  nice,  convenient  road,"  he 
replied.  "These  boards  which  you  left  leaning 
against  the  side  of  the  house  provided  a  stairway 
by  which  Reynard  made  both  his  entrance  and  exit ; 
see,  here  are  his  footprints." 

"Well,  he  won't  get  in  again  that  way,"  declared 
Tom  as  he  started  to  remove  the  boards. 

"Hold  on,"  exclaimed  Selwin.  "Don't  touch  the 
boards.  We'll  take  advantage  of  the  thief's  ladder 
to  capture  him  red-handed." 

"But  I  can't  afford  to  lose  any  more  hens,"  re- 
monstrated Tom. 

"You  won't  have  to,"  replied  Ralph.  "We'll  set 
a  trap  on  these  boards  to-night  and  catch  Mr.  Fox 
when  he  makes  his  next  visit.  His  skin  will  be 
worth  several  times  the  value  of  the  hen,  so  you 
ought  to  be  grateful  to  him." 


100      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

"That  will  be  great,"  admitted  Tom,  "but  where 
will  we  get  a  trap?" 

"We  could  buy  one  in  town,"  replied  his  cousin, 
"but  I  don't  think  it  will  be  necessary.  I  expect 
Gran'ther  Joe  has  some  traps ;  after  breakfast  we'll 
run  over  and  ask  him." 

The  old  farmer  had  several  steel  traps,  two  of 
which  Ralph  borrowed  and  in  the  afternoon  they 
were  carefully  set ;  one  half  way  up  the  boards  and 
the  other  inside  the  enclosure  close  by  the  door  to 
the  hen  house. 

"We'll  close  the  door  except  for  a  small  crack," 
explained  Selwin,  "and  place  the  trap  right  in  front 
of  the  opening.  The  fox  may  suspect  the  trap  on 
the  boards,  although  as  you  noticed,  I  smoked  it 
over  the  fire  to  destroy  its  scent  and  took  care  not 
to  touch  it  with  my  bare  hands,  for  the  least  human 
smell  about  the  trap  would  serve  as  a  warning  to  the 
fox.  If  he  avoids  the  trap  on  the  board  and  tries 
to  poke  his  way  into  the  house  he'll  hardly  escape 
stepping  in  this  second  trap." 

"Aren't  you  going  to  fasten  the  traps  to  the  fence 
or  house?"  asked  Tom. 

' '  No ;  if  we  did  that  the  fox  when  captured  would 
be  liable  either  to  pull  himself  free  or  else  might 
break  or  bite  off  his  leg  to  escape.     It's  a  better 


A  WELCOME   MARAUDER  101 

plan  to  attach  the  chains  to  pieces  of  cordwood. 
The  fox  can  pull  these  along,  but  they'll  catch  and 
drag  and  hinder  him  so  much  that  he  can't  travel 
far  nor  fast." 

Tom  was  so  anxious  to  see  the  results  of  their 
trapping  experiment  that  he  hurried  to  the  poultry 
yard  before  it  was  fully  light  the  next  morning.  He 
glanced  at  the  boards  but  nothing  appeared  dis- 
turbed and  he  stepped  round  to  the  enclosure  and 
peered  within. 

Instantly  he  gave  a  shout  and  hurried  back  to  the 
house. 

"We've  got  him,"  he  cried.  "But  it's  not  a  fox, 
Cousin  Ralph.  I  don't  know  what 'tis.  Hurry  along 
out  and  see  it. ' ' 

At  the  news  Ralph  and  Kitty  threw  on  wraps 
and  rushed  after  Tom.  Crouched  in  a  corner  of  the 
wire-fencing  and  snapping  viciously  at  his  captors 
was  a  sleek,  dark  creature  with  one  forefoot  held 
securely  by  the  jaws  of  the  trap. 

Selwin  gave  a  single  glance  at  the  captive  and 
slapping  Tom  on  the  back,  cried  out:  "My,  but 
that  is  a  fox !    Tom,  you  are  in  luck. ' ' 

"Why,  I  thought  foxes  were  red,"  exclaimed 
Kitty.    ' '  That  poor  little  creature  is  black. ' ' 

"That's  just  it,"  declared  Ralph.    "Most  foxes 


102      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

are  red  or  gray,  but  this  is  a  black  fox.  Why,  that 
fellow's  skin  is  worth  anywhere  from  $150  to  $200, 
the  exact  value  depending  upon  the  quality  of  the 
fur  and  the  amount  of  white  hairs  among  the  black. 
They're  one  of  the  most  valuable  of  all  fur-bearing 
animals." 

"Hurrah!"  shouted  Tom.  "That's  what  I  call 
good  profit  from  an  old  hen  that  wasn't  laying  any- 
way.   Who  says  poultry  isn't  profitable?" 

"You  can't  count  on  such  luck  every  time," 
laughed  Selwin.  ' '  Black  foxes  are  just  freaks.  You 
might  trap  foxes  for  years  and  never  get  another. 
There's  many  a  trapper  who's  spent  his  lifetime  in 
the  woods  and  never  saw  or  caught  one.  That's 
why  they're  so  valuable." 

"Well,  let's  get  him  out  of  there  and  kill  him. 
He  might  get  away,"  suggested  Tom. 

"That's  the  very  worst  thing  you  could  do,"  de- 
clared Ealph.  "If  you  kill  that  fox  you'll  regret 
it  all  your  life.  It's  killing  the  goose  that  laid  the 
golden  egg  with  a  vengeance." 

1 '  Well,  how  are  we  to  sell  his  skin  if  we  don 't  kill 
him?"  demanded  Tom. 

"If  you  take  my  advice  you  won't  sell  his  skin," 
replied  his  cousin.  "But  you'll  keep  this  fine  fellow 
and  start  a  silver  or  black  fox  farm  and  make  a  hun- 


A  WELCOME   MARAUDER  103 

dred  times  as  much  as  if  you  killed  him  and  disposed 
of  his  hide. ' ' 

"What  in  the  world  do  you  mean,  Ralph?"  asked 
Tom.    "Who  ever  heard  of  a  fox  farm?" 

"Lots  of  people,"  replied  Selwin.  "Not  about 
here,  I'll  admit,  but  in  Maine,  Alaska,  Prince  Ed- 
ward's island,  Newfoundland  and  many  other  parts 
of  the  country  fox  farming  has  become  a  most  prof- 
itable industry.  Red  and  gray  foxes  pay  well 
enough  but  a  good  black  fox  farm  is  better  than  a 
gold  mine." 

"You  mean  we  can  raise  black  foxes  for  their 
skins?"  queried  Tom.  "I  don't  see  how  we  can  start 
a  farm  with  one  fox  and  you  just  said  we  might 
never  get  another." 

"You  don't  need  another  black  fox,"  declared 
Ralph.  "Just  keep  this  fellow  and  buy,  trap  or  cap- 
ture some  common  foxes  and  the  chances  are  that 
some  of  their  young  will  be  black  or  partly  black. 
By  selecting  the  best  of  these  and  breeding  and  con- 
tinuing to  weed  out  those  which  are  reds  or  ordi- 
nary grays  you  can  very  likely  obtain  a  pure  or 
nearly  pure  black  breed.  The  reds  and  grays  will 
pay  for  the  expense  and  even  if  you  secured  but  one 
good  black  skin  a  year  you'd  be  well  repaid  for  the 
labor  and  trouble." 


104      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

"That  is  a  scheme,"  cried  Tom.  "It  beats  hens 
all  to  pieces." 

"It's  a  branch  of  modern  farming,"  said  Sel- 
win.  "Not  only  foxes  but  skunks,  muskrats,  beav- 
ers, minks,  and  many  other  fur-bearing  animals  are 
raised  profitably  on  farms  nowadays  and  the  prin- 
cipal reason  that  black  fox  farms  are  so  few  is  not 
because  of  the  difficulty  in  raising  the  animals  or 
lack  of  profit  in  the  business,  but  because  healthy, 
live,  black  foxes  are  so  extremely  valuable.  By  a 
streak  of  luck  you've  got  hold  of  a  prize  stock  ani- 
mal for  the  price  of  an  old  hen." 

"It  sounds  reasonable,"  admitted  Kitty,  "but  it 
seems  a  shame  to  rear  animals  just  to  kill  them  for 
their  skins." 

"You  must  remember,  Kitty,  that  the  foxes  live 
a  far  easier  and  happier  existence  in  captivity  than 
when  wild  and  that  in  rearing  them  we  are  really 
protecting  wild  animals,  not  destroying  them.  As 
the  country  becomes  settled  and  cultivated  foxes 
and  similar  creatures  must  be  destroyed  and  will 
soon  disappear  altogether.  Moreover,  if  we  didn't 
rear  them  they  wouldn't  ever  exist  and  finally  why 
is  it  any  more  cruel  to  raise  foxes  and  kill  them  for 
their  skins  than  to  raise  hens,  lambs,  calves  or  any 
domestic  animals  and  kill  them  for  meat  and  hides  1 ' ' 


A  WELCOME   MARAUDER  105 

"I  don't  suppose  it  is,  come  to  look  at  in  that 
way,"  agreed  Kitty,  "and  after  all  I  suppose  the 
more  foxes  that  are  kept  in  confinement  and  killed 
the  more  harmless  and  nice  creatures  and  birds 
there  will  be.  I  was  just  thinking  of  the  rabbit 
that  was  trailed  by  the  fox  in  the  wood." 

"Well,  what  I  want  to  know  is  how  we're  going 
to  get  this  fellow  out  of  the  trap  and  where  we're 
going  to  keep  him,"  said  Tom.  "We  can't  leave 
him  in  that  chicken-house  yard." 

"That's  just  my  idea  of  what  we  can  do,"  replied 
his  cousin.  "We'll  move  the  hens  out,  add  a  hori- 
zontal strip  of  netting  around  the  top  of  the  run, 
place  a  wire  netting  fence  across  the  end  of  the  house 
and  Mr.  Fox  will  be  perfectly  safe  until  warm 
weather.  Then  we  '11  add  some  buried  netting  around 
the  fence,  to  prevent  him  from  digging  out,  and  will 
place  brush  around  the  fence  as  a  screen  and  will 
transform  your  chicken  house  into  the  nucleus  of  a 
fox  farm.  We  might  as  well  commence  now  for  the 
sooner  we  get  the  place  ready  and  take  the  fox  from 
the  trap  the  better ;  it's  needless  cruelty  to  leave  him 
there  and  it  will  do  him  no  good. ' ' 

Before  breakfast  was  ready  the  hens  had  all  been 
removed  and  the  strips  of  additional  netting  added 
to  the  fence.    Ralph,  approaching  the  captive  with 


106      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

an  old  horse  blanket,  threw  it  over  the  fox's  head, 
removed  the  trap  and  retired  with  Tom  to  let  the 
creature  quiet  down  from  his  fright  and  hurts. 

Tom  was  highly  elated  over  the  prospects  of  rear- 
ing black  foxes  and  could  talk  of  nothing  else. 

"I  always  thought  all  the  furs  came  from  the  far 
north,"  he  remarked.  "I  didn't  know  there  were 
any  animals  with  good  furs  around  here. ' ' 

"The  northern  skins  are  always  heavier  and  bet- 
ter," said  Ealph,  "but  your  farm  is  almost  within 
the  so-called  'Canadian  Zone.'  This  is  an  area  de- 
termined by  the  government  experts  and  within 
which  furs  of  the  best  quality  may  be  procured.  The 
southern  boundary  crosses  Maine,  New  Hampshire, 
Vermont,  Michigan,  Wisconsin,  Minnesota  and 
North  Dakota  and  extends  southward  along  the 
mountain  ranges  of  New  York,  Pennsylvania,  West 
Virginia  and  throughout  the  Rocky  Mountain  states. 
South  of  this  boundary  foxes  with  a  fair  quality  of 
fur  may  occur  but  the  best  are  only  obtained  within 
that  area.  As  your  farm  is  on  high  land  and  only 
a  few  miles  south  of  the  imaginary  boundary  there 
is  no  reason  why  you  should  not  raise  fox  skins  of 
high  market  value.  It  might  not  pay  for  common 
furs  but  the  gray  foxes,  blacks  and  silver  grays  are 


A  WELCOME   MARAUDER  107 

so  valuable  that  even  inferior  skins  are  worth  a 
great  deal  of  money." 

" Sometimes  you  say  'black'  and  at  others  'silver 
grays,'  "  remarked  Tom.  "Are  they  both  the 
same  ? ' ' 

"Not  exactly,"  replied  Ralph,  "although  one 
grades  into  the  other.  All  our  common  foxes — with 
the  exception  of  the  'southern  tree-fox'  or  'southern 
gray  fox' — are  varieties  of  the  same  animal.  The 
normal  and  commonest  color  is  reddish  with  some 
black  on  the  feet  and  ears  and  a  white  tip  to  the 
tail.  From  this  type  the  species  varies  through  in- 
numerable shades  of  mixed  red  and  gray  to  the 
variety  known  as  the  'Cross  Fox'  in  which  the  feet, 
legs  and  lower  parts  are  mainly  black  and  the  upper 
parts  blackish  and  reddish  mixed.  More  black  and 
white  and  less  red  gives  the  various  'grays'  until 
in  the  'silver  gray'  no  red  is  visible  and  the  color 
is  entirely  black  with  white  tips  to  the  hairs.  The 
silver  gray  grades  so  gradually  into  pure  black  that 
it  is  hard  to  say  where  one  ends  and  the  other  be- 
gins, but  in  the  true  'black  fox'  there  is  no  white 
save  at  the  tip  of  the  tail.  Any  one  or  all  of  the 
varieties  may  occur  in  a  single  litter  of  young.  I 
knew  an  old  farmer  in  Maine  who  dug  out  a  nest  of 
foxes  and  sold  them  to  a  friend  for  $5.00.     Of  the 


108      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

five  cubs  two  grew  up  into  silver  grays,  one  into 
a  pure  black  and  the  others  into  common  red 
foxes  and  the  purchaser  of  the  litter  netted  some- 
thing over  $500  profit.  That  was  a  number  of  years 
ago  and  to-day  the  skins  would  bring  more  than 
twice  as  much." 

1 '  That  would  have  been  a  fine  lot  to  start  farming 
with,"  remarked  Tom. 

' 'Yes,"  agreed  Selwin,  "but  at  that  time  fox 
farms  were  undreamed  of.  You're  just  as  likely 
to  secure  good  skins  with  one  pure  black  parent  like 
your  captive.  You  must  not  expect  to  secure  blacks 
or  grays  the  first  generation,  however.  It  may  hap- 
pen; but  usually  every  other  generation  is  more 
likely  to  develop  the  peculiarities  of  its  ancestors. 
For  that  reason  grays  and  reds  should  not  be  elimi- 
nated until  they  have  been  bred  for  at  least  two 
years.  A  pure  red  which  is  the  offspring  of  a  red 
and  black  fox  might  produce  a  litter  in  which  sev- 
eral were  high  grade  cross-grays,  silver-grays  or 
even  blacks." 

"Are  foxes  hard  to  feed  and  care  for?"  asked 
Tom. 

"Not  at  all,"  replied  his  cousin.  "The  principal 
care  needed  is  to  see  that  they  are  not  frightened 
by  dogs  or  people,  that  they  are  disturbed  as  little 


A  WELCOME   MARAUDER  109 

as  possible,  are  not  overfed  and  are  provided  with 
clean  quarters  and  shade." 

' '  Me  for  fox  farming,  then, ' '  declared  Tom.  ' '  But 
where  can  I  get  some  more  foxes'?" 

"We'll  try  to  trap  some  in  the  woods,"  answered 
Ralph, ' '  and  perhaps  in  the  spring  we  can  find  a  fox 
hole  and  dig  it  out  and  in  this  way  obtain  five  or 
six  young  which  may  be  reared  in  confinement. 
They  will  usually  do  better  than  full-grown  trapped 
animals  but  I've  no  doubt  if  we  succeed  in  catching 
some  they'll  soon  become  accustomed  to  a  life  of 
captivity. ' ' 

"There's  only  one  objection,"  remarked  Tom  af- 
ter a  few  moments '  thought.  ' '  If  my  fox  gets  out  or 
dies  I'll  lose  all  chances  of  raising  more  and  I'll  be 
out  the  value  of  his  skin  besides." 

"There  is  that  risk,  of  course,"  agreed  his  cousin, 
"but  there's  some  risk  in  everything  that  has  pros- 
pects of  large  profits.  You  can  sell  your  fox  for 
$300  very  likely,  either  for  his  skin  or  for  a  breeding 
animal  and  that  will  be  the  end  of  him.  On  the  other 
hand,  you  can  take  the  small  risk  of  his  loss  and  at 
the  same  time  have  a  good  chance  of  making  many 
times  as  much  yearly  as  you'd  receive  for  him  to- 
day; it's  up  to  you  to  decide,  Tom." 


110      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

"Well,  I'm  going  to  take  the  risk,  then,"  Tom 
declared.  "We  didn't  count  on  foxes  as  part  of  the 
farm  profits  anyway,  and  if  I  should  lose  him  I'll 
really  be  out  only  one  old  hen." 


CHAPTER   VII 
PLANNING    FOR    THE    FUTURE 

Now  that  winter  had  set  in  and  the  country  was 
snowbound  there  was  little  to  be  accomplished 
out  of  doors.  Trips  to  town  to  deliver  eggs  and 
wood,  to  the  grist  mill  to  secure  feed  for  the  poul- 
try and  horse  and  the  care  of  the  live  stock  com- 
prised Tom's  duties  in  the  open  air  and  most  of  his 
time  was  spent  in  the  house,  talking  with  his  cousin, 
reading  books  and  magazines  and  planning  for  the 
coming  spring.  Ralph  had  helped  Tom  connect  a 
grindstone  to  the  motor,  a  counter  shaft  and  pulleys 
of  various  sizes  had  been  rigged  up  overhead  and 
Ralph  had  explained  to  Tom  how  pulleys  could  be 
made  to  increase  or  decrease  power. 

1  'You '11  find  a  pump  a  great  convenience,"  he  said 
on  one  occasion.  "As  it  is  now  you  have  to  draw 
water  from  the  well  for  everything.  With  a  power 
pump  you  can  pump  running  water  to  the  barn  and 
house  and  save  a  great  deal  of  time  and  trouble. 
Moreover  you  can  build  a  concrete  tank  or  cistern 

111 


112 


UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 


and  keep  it  filled  with  water.  Then  when  a  dry  spell 
comes  on  you  can  save  your  well  and  let  the  water 
accumulate  in  it.  You  might  even  do  better  than 
that.  I  noticed  an  old  wind-mill  tank  at  the  grist 
mill  the  other  day.  If  you  can  get  that  we  could  set 
it  up  on  the  barn  or  on  a  platform  and  by  pumping 


Centrifugal  Pump  Gear  Pump 

water  to  it  you  could  obtain  a  supply  of  running 
water  for  both  barn  and  house." 

' '  I  think  that  would  be  great, ' '  replied  Tom.  ' '  But 
wouldn't  it  take  a  lot  of  time  and  trouble  to  run 
the  motor  to  pump  water  enough  to  fill  a  tank?" 

"It  would  with  an  ordinary  pump,"  agreed  Sel- 
win,  "but  if  you  get  a  rotary  or  centrifugal  pump 
it  will  fill  the  tank  in  short  order.  A  rotary  pump 
is  a  very  small,  compact  affair  consisting  of  a  case 
containing  one  or  two  wheels  with  teeth  or  paddles 
upon  them.  In  the  centrifugal  form  the  rapidly 
revolving  paddle  sucks  the  water  into  one  side  of  the 


PLANNING    FOR    THE    FUTURE  113 

case  and  forces  it  out  through  an  opening  in  this 
manner."  Ralph  illustrated  the  principle  with  a 
sketch.  "The  other  form,  known  as  a  gear-pump, 
is  a  case  containing  two  interlocking  gear  wheels. 
The  water  is  drawn  in  by  the  suction  of  the  gears 
and  is  forced  out  as  the  teeth  come  into  contact, 
in  this  manner."  He  made  another  outline  of  a 
gear  pump. 

' '  Those  look  very  simple, ' '  admitted  Tom.  ' '  Are 
they  expensive?" 

"They're  very  cheap — a  two-inch  pump  costs 
about  $15.00  and  a  little  later  on  I'd  strongly  advise 
getting  one.  There  isn't  any  use  in  trying  to  fit  up 
the  tank  and  pipes  now  as  they'd  freeze,  but  as  soon 
as  thaws  commence  we'll  begin  on  them  and  make 
the  most  of  the  water  from  the  spring  rains  and 
melting  snow.  You'll  be  mighty  thankful  if  we 
have  a  drought  that  you've  an  auxiliary  water  sys- 
tem." 

Tom  had  also  constructed  a  number  of  bird  houses 
to  be  placed  in  the  trees  about  the  house,  for  Kitty 
had  become  greatly  interested  in  the  feathered  vis- 
itors and  by  placing  crumbs,  pieces  of  fat  and  suet 
and  similar  tidbits  about  the  veranda  and  on  nearby 
posts  and  trees  she  had  attracted  many  winter  birds 
to  the  farm. 


114      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

"I'm  glad  you're  encouraging  them,"  said  her 
cousin  one  day  as  they  stood  watching  a  flock  of 
chickadees  and  nuthatches  pecking  away  at  the  food. 
"Birds  will  be  our  best  friends  in  the  spring  and 
summer.  A  single  nuthatch  will  destroy  more  in- 
jurious insects  in  a  day  than  you  could  destroy  in  a 
year.  Attract  all  the  birds  you  can,  encourage  them 
to  nest  about  the  place  and  never  allow  a  cat  about 
and  you'll  have  few  losses  from  insect  enemies." 

"I  suppose  that's  all  a  part  of  scientific  farming," 
said  Tom. 

"It  certainly  is,"  Ralph  assured  him.  "You'd  be 
surprised  to  find  to  what  trouble  and  expense  our 
government  has  been  to  study  the  habits  of  insects 
and  birds  in  their  relation  to  farm  life  and  agricul- 
ture. Thousands  of  birds'  stomachs  are  examined 
yearly  and  vast  numbers  of  reports  have  been  is- 
sued and  distributed  in  an  effort  to  induce  the  farm- 
ers to  protect  the  birds  and  thus  save  their  crops 
from  the  ravages  of  insects.  In  many  places  the 
people  are  awakening  to  the  valuable  aid  rendered 
by  birds  but  in  a  majority  of  cases  the  farmers  are 
inclined  to  underestimate  their  use  and  to  scoff  at 
what  they  consider  new-fangled  ideas.  As  a  matter 
of  fact  while  insects  are  increasing  in  proportion  to 
the  increase  of  cultivated  crops  and  many  new  for- 


PLANNING   FOR    THE    FUTURE  115 

eign  species  are  being  introduced,  their  natural  bird 
enemies  are  decreasing  through  persistent  and  ruth- 
less hunting,  destruction  of  their  nests  and  eggs  and 
the  abundance  of  domestic  cats." 

"Well,  all  birds  are  not  useful,"  remarked  Tom. 
"Fred  Barton's  father  used  to  pay  us  five  cents 
apiece  for  bee-martins,  ten  cents  for  blackbirds  and 
a  quarter  for  crows.  He  said  they  ate  his  bees  and 
fruit  and  corn." 

"That  shows  Mr.  Barton's  ignorance  and  short- 
sightedness," declared  Ralph.  "Bee-martins,  oth- 
erwise known  as  Kingbirds,  do  eat  a  few  bees  at 
times  but  they  devour  vast  numbers  of  injurious  in- 
sects and  make  up  for  the  bees  they  kill  a  thousand 
times  over  every  day.  Blackbirds  may  be  a  nui- 
sance sometimes  and  may  help  themselves  to  fruit 
or  grain,  but  if  Mr.  Barton  and  others  like  him 
would  take  the  trouble  to  investigate  he'd  find  the 
stomachs  of  his  victims  were  usually  filled  with 
beetles,  grubs,  worms  and  similar  farm  enemies. 
Even  the  crow  is  probably  far  more  useful  than  in- 
jurious in  most  places.  Crows  do  eat  corn  and  in 
some  places  are  too  abundant  to  be  pleasant,  but  in 
most  cases  they  prefer  grubs  and  worms  to  corn  and 
are  too  few  in  number  to  do  as  much  harm  as  good. 
One  fact  which  we  are  all  too  likely  to  overlook  is 


116      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

that  while  the  birds  may  eat  some  of  our  things  dur- 
ing their  season,  yet  during  the  balance  of  the  year 
they  depend  entirely  upon  insects  and  weed-seeds." 

1  '  I  never  thought  of  that, ' '  admitted  Tom.  ' '  But 
I  can  see  how  sensible  it  is.  I'm  going  to  protect 
every  bird  on  my  place  except  hawks  and  owls." 

"And  you'll  protect  them  also  if  you're  wise," 
said  Ealph.  "Only  one  or  two  species  of  owls  and 
very  few  hawks  are  injurious. ' ' 

"Why,  I  thought  they  all  ate  chickens,"  exclaimed 
Tom. 

"A  few  kinds  do,"  replied  his  cousin,  "but  you 
must  learn  to  discriminate.  A  farmer  would  never 
destroy  a  valuable  plant  merely  because  it  resembled 
a  weed  and  yet  he  doesn't  think  it  worth  while  to 
learn  the  differences  between  useful  and  injurious 
birds,  animals  or  reptiles  or  even  between  harmful 
and  useful  insects. ' ' 

"Well,  this  is  all  news  to  me,"  declared  Tom. 
"I  didn't  suppose  any  insects  were  useful  nor  any 
reptiles  and  I  thought  all  hawks  and  owls  were  ene- 
mies of  the  poultry." 

"The  hawks  commonly  called  'chicken  hawks'  or 
'hen  hawks'  are  large,  slow-flying,  sluggish  birds 
and  feed  almost  entirely  on  caterpillars,  frogs, 
snakes,  meadow  mice  and  other  small  creatures," 


PLANNING    FOR    THE    FUTURE  117 

replied  Ralph.  "The  small,  swift-flying  'pigeon- 
hawks  '  are  far  more  injurious  and  only  a  few  species 
of  these — such  as  the  Cooper's  hawk,  Sharp-shinned 
hawk  and  the  various  falcons  are  really  worthy  of 
being  considered  enemies.  It  is  the  same  with  the 
owls,  the  great-horned  owl  and  the  snowy  owl  will 
destroy  chickens,  hens  and  poultry,  but  the  common 
screech  owl,  the  other  medium-sized  owls  and  the 
barred  owl  all  depend  for  a  livelihood  upon  small 
animals,  insects  and  reptiles.  Among  the  reptiles 
all  of  the  non-poisonous  snakes  are  good  friends  to 
the  farmer  and  devour  vast  numbers  of  insects, 
small  mice,  etc.,  while  the  common  toad  is  one  of 
our  best  friends  and  an  insatiable  insect  destroyer. 
Among  the  mammals  the  meadow-mice  and  field- 
mice,  the  gophers  and  ground  squirrels  as  well  as 
the  wild  rats  are  all  enemies  and  should  be  de- 
stroyed, but  the  moles  and  shrews  live  upon  insects 
and  are  useful.  Even  among  the  insects  we  have 
many  good  friends.  Lady-beetles  are  the  greatest  of 
enemies  to  the  obnoxious  and  destructive  scale-in- 
sects and  plant-lice ;  numerous  beetles  devour  insect 
pests  of  many  kinds ;  nearly  all  wasps,  bees  and  hor- 
nets are  destroyers  of  other  insects;  spiders  are 
great  friends  of  ours;  the  ichneumon-flies  annually 
kill  millions  of  caterpillars,  and  it's  the  same  with 


118      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

many  other  groups.  I'll  give  you  a  good  book  to 
read  on  this  subject  and  I'd  also  advise  studying 
government  pamphlets  and  bulletins." 

Tom  found  these  books  most  interesting  and  with 
Ealph's  help  he  commenced  diligently  to  study  the 
lives  of  insects,  birds,  animals  and  reptiles  of  his 
vicinity. 

"I  never  dreamed  there  were  such  hosts  of  live 
things  about,"  he  remarked.  "And  so  many  of 
them  so  interesting.  Why  a  fellow  might  spend  all 
his  time  just  studying  these  creatures  and  watching 
their  habits.     It's  like  a  fairy-tale." 

'  *  It 's  far  better  than  any  fairy  tale, ' '  said  his  cou- 
sin. "And  everything  you  learn  will  help  to  make 
your  farm  more  successful.  If  our  farmers  paid 
more  attention  to  natural  history  and  studied  the 
government  pamphlets  and  reliable  scientific  works 
instead  of  reading  cheap  weekly  magazines  and 
'farmers'  almanacs,'  there 'd  be  less  complaint  about 
poor  crops  and  mortgaged  farms." 

Kitty  now  had  a  girl  to  help  with  the  housework 
and  found  much  of  interest  in  reading  and  studying 
flower  culture  and  in  discussing  matters  relating  to 
farm  life  with  Ealph  and  Tom.  As  they  sat  in  the 
cozy  room  before  the  big,  blazing  log  fire  with  the 
nipping  cold  winter  wind  howling  about  the  house, 


PLANNING   FOR    THE    FUTURE  119 

it  was  hard  to  realize  that  they  were  actually  in  the 
forlorn-looking  old  place  which  had  seemed  so  hope- 
less when  they  first  saw  it. 

Before  Christmas,  Kitty's  violets  were  blooming 
and  her  bulbs  were  well  budded  and  nearly  every 
day  she  sent  orders  of  flowers  to  customers  in  town. 
The  rural  delivery  proved  a  great  boon  in  this 
work  and  even  the  eggs  were  sent  to  Mr.  Grayson 
and  their  few  other  customers  by  post. 

Tom  had  constructed  a  number  of  artistic  and 
handsome  window  boxes  from  rough  boards  cov- 
ered with  ornamental  bark  from  their  woodpile  and 
had  also  devoted  a  great  deal  of  time  to  building 
chicken  coops,  brooders  and  similar  appliances  for 
his  poultry  yard,  for  he  realized  that  the  winter  was 
the  time  to  complete  all  such  odds  and  ends  of  work 
and  that  during  the  spring  and  summer  he  would 
have  his  time  fully  occupied  in  caring  for  his  land 
and  crops. 

He  had  also  secured  a  number  of  additional  sash 
and  had  constructed  the  frames  for  several  large 
hot  beds,  for  Ralph  assured  him  that  he  would  re- 
quire large,  roomy  hot-beds  if  he  was  to  raise  early 
vegetables.  The  fox  had  become  thoroughly  accus- 
tomed to  his  new  home  and  seldom  snarled  or 
crouched  when  Tom  approached.    He  was  healthy 


120      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

and   sleek   and   had  entirely  recovered   from  his 
wounded  leg. 

Old  Gran'ther  Joe  stopped  in  quite  often  as  he 
passed  the  farm,  and  when  he  heard  of  the  fox  and 
Tom's  proposed  fox  farm  he  laughed  heartily. 

''Wall,  I've  heerd  o'  all  sorts  o'  farmin',"  he  an- 
nounced. "But  a-farmin'  of  foxes  do  beat  all.  I 
ain't  a  sayin'  nothin'  agin  it,  though.  Sence  ye  beat 
us  all  with  thet  there  sled  o'  yourn  an'  hev  been 
a-gittin'  eggs  all  winter,  when  our  hens  hain't  laid  a 
egg  fer  nigh  onto  three  month,  I  says  to  Mandy, 
*  Mother,  there  beint  no  use  a-talkin',  book-larnin' 
does  pay  an'  I  'clare  to  goodness  I  wisht  I  wuz 
young  enough  to  start  in  an'  do  some  book-larnin' 
myself.'  " 

When  he  saw  the  fox  he  expressed  the  greatest 
surprise.  "Gosh  all  Hemlock!"  he  exclaimed,  "if 
thet  there  ain't  a  mighty  purty  critter.  I've  seed 
foxes  all  my  life  but  I  hain't  never  seed  one  like  thet. 
I  tell  yer  what,  son,  come  spring  I  '11  show  ye  where 
there's  been  a  den  o'  foxes  fer  nigh  onto  three  years 
an'  ye  can  dig  'em  out  an'  hev  as  purty  a  little  fam- 
bly  o '  varmints  as  ye  'd  wish  ter  see.  Hope  yer  make 
a  mint  o'  money  out  o'  them  critters  an'  I  bet 
ye  do." 

Several  traps  had  already  been  set  in  the  hope  of 


PLANNING   FOR    THE    FUTURE  121 

capturing  another  fox  but  it  was  not  until  late  in 
January  that  success  resulted  and  a  fine  red  fox  was 
secured.  The  new  captive  was  placed  in  the  pen 
with  the  black  and  Tom  and  Ralph  watched  from 
concealment  to  see  if  the  two  showed  signs  of  fight- 
ing. For  a  short  time  the  red  animal  sniffed  about 
suspiciously  and  showed  her  teeth  at  the  other  but 
there  seemed  to  be  no  antagonism  and  Tom  and 
Ralph  quietly  withdrew  and  left  the  creatures  to  get 
acquainted  at  their  leisure. 

It  was  a  cold  severe  winter  but  this,  Ralph  as- 
sured Tom,  gave  all  the  more  promise  of  a  warm  and 
early  spring  and  as  the  days  began  to  lengthen  the 
three  spent  many  hours  talking  over  the  cultivation 
of  their  land  and  the  planting  and  growing  of  crops. 
Tom  had  secured  innumerable  catalogues  of  vege- 
table seeds  and  farming  utensils  and  he  went  over 
these  carefully  with  his  cousin. 

"The  first  thing,"  Ralph  remarked,  "is  to  decide 
just  what  you're  to  raise.  Certain  crops  may  be 
very  profitable  in  one  place  and  under  certain  con- 
ditions, whereas  the  same  things  in  another  dis- 
trict and  with  a  different  market  may  not  pay  at  all. 
Moreover,  you'd  find  it  mighty  hard  work  to  make 
some  crops  pay,  as  in  order  to  grow  them  profitably 


122      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

you  must  employ  several  helpers  and  must  use  horse 
and  machine  tools  for  cultivating,  fertilizing,  etc. 

"Asa  rule  the  really  cheap  things  do  not  pay,  ex- 
cept on  very  large  farms  and  on  a  grand  scale  and 
where  transportation  is  cheap  and  frequent  to  large 
markets.  Strangely  enough  far  more  farmers  raise 
such  things  than  the  more  profitable  and  more  easily 
raised  crops  which  always  bring  a  good  price  and 
are  more  in  demand.  You'll  often  see  farm  after 
farm  devoted  to  cabbages,  corn,  potatoes  or  some 
one  or  two  crops  and  as  a  result  the  owners  cannot 
dispose  of  all  they  raise  for  enough  to  pay  for  the 
harvesting.  A  general  garden  or  truck  farm  is  far 
more  profitable  than  a  farm  on  which  but  a  few 
crops  are  grown  and  I'd  advise  you  to  specialize 
in  the  very  finest  and  best  varieties  of  vegetables. 
A  great  many  farmers  find  vegetables  do  not  pay 
merely  because  they  plant  cheap  seeds,  and  inferior 
or  late  varieties,  and  as  a  result  they  must  sell  at  a 
very  low  price  or  not  at  all.  The  very  best  seed 
costs  but  little  more  than  inferior  seed,  the  latest 
and  most  highly  perfected  varieties  are  just  as  easy 
to  raise  as  the  old-fashioned  kinds  and  the  earlier 
the  crop  the  higher  price  it  will  bring.  Consumers 
soon  learn  to  discriminate  and  if  you  earn  the  repu- 
tation of  having  better,  fresher  and  cleaner  vege- 


PLANNING   FOR   THE    FUTURE  123 

tables  than  others  you  will  have  no  difficulty  in  find- 
ing a  ready  sale  for  your  crops.  Your  best  custom- 
ers will  be  the  hotels,  restaurants,  boarding  houses 
and  private  families  and  if  you  make  inquiries  you 
can  no  doubt  determine  about  how  much  of  each 
vegetable  your  prospective  customers  use.  Early 
things  are  always  in  demand  and  by  planting  rad- 
ishes, cucumbers,  tomatoes  and  many  other  vegeta- 
bles in  cold-frames  and  hot-beds  you  can  have  your 
crops  on  the  market  long  before  the  other  farm- 
ers, who  wait  until  really  warm  weather  before 
planting.  The  success  of  your  farm,  however,  will 
depend  mainly  upon  three  things:  Constant  care, 
preparation  of  the  soil  and  a  rotation  of  crops." 

"What  do  you  mean  by  rotation  of  crops?"  asked 
Tom. 

" Having  one  crop  always  in  the  ground,"  replied 
Ralph,  "and  not  letting  any  land  lie  idle.  In  this 
way  less  land  can  be  used,  consequently  requiring 
less  work  and  care,  and  the  land  is  made  to  yield 
its  utmost.  Most  of  our  farmers  are  content  to  get 
one,  or  at  the  most  two,  crops  a  year  from  their 
land  and  yet  three,  four  or  even  five  crops  may  be 
easily  grown  on  good  land  under  ordinary  circum- 
stances. Thus  if  early  peas  are  planted  they  can 
be  harvested  by  June  and  corn  or  some  similar  crop 


124      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

can  be  planted  on  the  same  land  and  will  be  ready 
to  gather  in  season  to  plant  celery  for  the  autumn 
and  as  soon  as  the  celery  is  out  of  the  ground  spin- 
ach, kale  or  some  winter  crop  may  be  started.  Of 
course  this  rotation  of  crops  uses  up  the  soil  rap- 
idly and  more  fertilizer  is  required,  but  the  results 
from  this  'intensive'  gardening,  as  it's  called,  are 
enough  to  warrant  the  additional  expense  of  ma- 
nure. Moreover,  peas,  vetch,  clover  or  some  other 
leguminous  plants  may  be  sowed  among  the  corn 
and  as  these  ' legumes'  have  the  property  of  adding 
to  the  richness  of  the  soil  they  will  serve  in  place  of 
a  great  deal  of  fertilizer.  Most  farmers  are  ignor- 
ant of  the  value  of  fertilizers,  except  in  a  general 
way,  and  know  little  about  mulching,  the  necessity 
of  humus  or  even  how  to  prepare  the  earth  properly 
to  get  the  best  results." 

"What  are  mulches  and  humus  and  what  does  the 
ground  require  except  plowing?"  inquired  Tom.  "I 
thought  farming  was  easy,  but  there  seems  to  be  a 
lot  of  things  to  remember." 

"Any  material  placed  on  top  of  the  soil  to  retain 
the  moisture  is  a  'mulch',"  explained  Ralph.  "You 
know  how  damp  it  always  is  beneath  a  board,  stone 
or  other  solid  object  that  rests  on  the  ground. 
Leaves,  litter  or  any  other  material  which  will  re- 


PLANNING   FOR    THE    FUTURE  125 

tain  moisture  will  accomplish  the  same  results,  but 
the  handiest  and  best  of  all  is  a  well-worked  layer 
of  the  earth  itself.  It  is  to  make  this  earth  act  as 
a  moisture-retainer  that  the  surface  is  broken  up, 
hoed  and  pulverized  between  the  plants ;  for  a  dry, 
fine,  loose  upper  surface  means  a  damper  soil  be- 
neath than  when  the  surface  is  allowed  to  become 
baked,  caked  or  hard.  Moisture  in  the  soil,  not  on 
top  of  it  is  necessary  and  while  a  hard,  caked  sur- 
face may  retain  the  moisture  and  become  mud  dur- 
ing a  rain,  yet  the  moisture  does  not  penetrate  to  the 
plants'  roots,  and  dries  up  and  evaporates  quickly, 
instead  of  being  retained  beneath  the  surface. 
Humus  is  decayed  animal  or  vegetable  matter  in  the 
soil  and  this  acts  not  only  as  a  fertilizer  but  makes 
the  land  mellow,  easily-worked  and  soft  and  retains 
moisture  as  well.  Stable-manure,  litter,  leaf-mold 
or  any  similar  materials  are  excellent  for  forming 
the  humus  and  it  was  for  this  purpose  that  you 
placed  the  leaves  from  the  woodlot  over  your  field. 
In  addition,  you  should  have  a  compost-heap,  for 
compost  is  the  best  of  humus  and  fertilizer  com- 
bined. ' ' 

" What's  a  compost  heap?"  asked  Tom.  "You'll 
have  to  explain  these  things  as  you  go  along,  Ralph, 
they're  all  Greek  to  me." 


126      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

"A  compost  heap,"  replied  his  cousin,  "is  a  pile 
of  refuse,  waste  and  odds  and  ends  so  arranged  as 
to  decay  and  form  humus  and  fertilizer.  All  the 
offal  from  the  kitchen,  stable  and  poultry  yard 
should  be  gathered  together  in  some  out-of-the-way 
spot  and  piled  up  with  layers  of  soil,  straw,  dead 
leaves,  sods,  etc.  As  the  mass  increases  in  size 
land-plaster,  wood-ashes  and  slaked  lime  may  be 
added  and  when  the  heap  is  three  to  five  feet  high 
a  thin  layer  of  soil  should  be  thrown  over  it  and  the 
surface  of  sides  and  top  sown  with  clover,  vetch  or 
cow-peas. 

1 '  These  leguminous  plants  will  transform  the  un- 
sightly pile  into  an  attractive  green  mound  and  their 
growth  will  add  to  its  richness  as  all  of  these  plants 
absorb  nitrogen  and  give  it  to  the  soil  in  which  they 
grow.  The  compost  pile  should  remain  over  winter 
and  in  the  spring  it  should  be  turned  with  a  fork 
and  sown  with  more  seeds.  During  the  summer 
the  plants  will  hide  the  mass  and  in  the  autumn  it 
will  be  thoroughly  decayed  and  ready  to  plow  into 
your  gardens." 

"We  can't  do  that  now,"  objected  Tom,  "it's  too 
late  for  this  year." 

"You  can  start  the  pile  at  any  time,"  Ealph  as- 
sured him,  "and  by  spring  sow  the  first  legumes 


PLANNING   FOR    THE    FUTURE  127 

on  it.  By  autumn  it  should  be  ready.  Plowing 
the  land  properly  is  most  important  and  nine  times 
out  of  ten  plowing  is  not  deep  enough  and  the  hard, 
compact  subsoil  is  not  sufficiently  broken  up.  Soil 
properly  prepared  should  have  the  subsoil  fine  and 
even,  with  the  surface  loose  and  dry,  whereas,  im- 
properly prepared  earth  is  just  the  reverse ;  the  sub- 
soil being  coarse  and  lumpy,  so  the  moisture  is  not 
retained,  while  the  surface  is  finely  pulverized  and 
becomes  caked  and  impervious  to  water  when  wet." 

"Your  soil  should  be  broken  as  deep  as  possible 
with  a  16-inch  plow,  followed  by  a  disk  plow,  after 
which  it  should  be  harrowed  twice  over  both  ways 
and  finished  with  a  brush  drag." 

"Whew!  It  makes  me  tired  just  to  think  of  all 
that  work,"  exclaimed  Tom.  "I  helped  Fred  Bar- 
ton plow  a  little  and  it  seemed  to  me  as  if  we  did 
about  as  much  work  as  the  horse." 

Ralph  laughed.  "It  will  be  hard  work,"  he 
agreed,  "but  it's  worth  the  labor  and  next  year 
'twill  be  easier.  With  a  pair  of  horses  you'll  not 
find  plowing  so  difficult,  especially  as  your  land  is 
mellow  and  light. ' ' 

"As  we  haven't  any  manure  to  speak  of  I  suppose 
I'll  have  to  buy  artificial  fertilizers,"  said  Tom. 
"What's  the  best  kind  to  use?" 


128      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

"That  depends  partly  upon  the  plants  you  grow," 
replied  his  cousin.  "Most  commercial  fertilizers 
are  either  'general  crop  fertilizers'  or  are  prepared 
with  reference  to  their  value  to  certain  crops.  The 
chemicals  which  are  mainly  required  by  plants  are 
phosphoric  acid,  nitrate  of  soda  and  potash.  Some 
soils  lack  one  and  some  another  and  the  fertilizer 
that  will  give  the  best  results  is  the  one  which  fur- 
nishes the  chemicals  lacking  in  the  particular  soil 
upon  which  it  is  used.  Then  again  some  plants  re- 
quire more  nitrates  and  others  more  phosphates 
than  others.  Still  others  fail  entirely  in  an  acid  soil 
while  others  amount  to  nothing  unless  the  soil  is 
acid.  For  garden  crops  a  soil  of  average  richness 
and  containing  plenty  of  nitrates  and  phosphates  is 
the  best,  and  the  best  fertilizer  for  all  such  crops  is 
well-rotted  stable  manure.  The  only  objection  to  it 
is  that  it  contains  many  weed  seeds  and  is  ill-smell- 
ing and  disagreeable.  Poultry  manure  is  also  splen- 
did, especially  if  mixed  with  dead  leaves,  litter,  etc. 
Wood  ashes  and  vegetable  mold  are  excellent  and 
your  best  plan  will  be  to  use  all  the  poultry  manure 
you  have  as  well  as  the  stable  manure  and  to  this 
add  all  the  wood  ashes  on  the  place,  several  wagon 
loads  of  leaf  mold  from  the  wood  lot,  and  all  the  rich 
black  soil  from  the  old  cowyard.     Then  when  you 


PLANNING    FOR    THE    FUTURE  129 

plant  the  seeds  use  a  liberal  amount  of  commercial 
fertilizer  and  to  force  rapid,  large  growth,  hoe  a  lit- 
tle nitrate  of  soda  around  the  plants  as  they  com- 
mence to  bear.  If  you  do  this  I'll  wager  you'll  have 
crops  that  will  surprise  the  old  farmers." 

"It  looks  to  me  as  if  I'd  have  plenty  to  keep  me 
busy,"  laughed  Tom.    "How  soon  must  I  begin?" 

"There's  not  much  to  be  gained  by  starting  too 
early  on  the  fields,"  replied  his  cousin,  "but  you  can 
plant  radishes  in  the  hot-beds  in  February  and  con- 
tinued plantings  every  ten  days  will  give  a  succes- 
sion of  crops  until  warm  weather,  after  which  it's 
not  worth  while  to  raise  them.  Other  seeds  which 
may  be  planted  in  the  hot-beds  late  in  February 
or  early  in  March  are  early  cabbage,  cauliflower, 
celery,  egg-plant,  lettuce,  cucumbers,  tomatoes,  and 
peppers.  Some  of  these  will  be  ready  to  set  out  in 
the  field  by  warm  weather,  say  about  the  time  when 
the  apple  trees  are  in  full  bloom,  and  at  this  time 
early  bush  beans,  carrots,  early  potatoes,  beets,  on- 
ions, parsnips,  early  turnips,  peas,  etc.,  may  also  be 
planted  out  of  doors.  In  fact,  if  the  spring  is  warm 
they  may  be  safely  sowed  by  the  time  the  peach 
trees  blossom.  By  the  time  the  ground  is  well 
warmed  by  the  sun  and  the  apple  tree  blossoms  have 
fallen  you  may  transplant  the  tenderest  things  and 


130      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

can  sow  pole  beans,  okra,  squashes  and  similar  va- 
rieties and  by  the  time  these  are  attended  to  the 
very  tenderest  seeds  such  as  corn,  lima  beans,  and 
melons  may  be  sowed." 

"Goodness!  at  that  rate  I'll  have  to  begin  plant- 
ing next  month,"  cried  Tom. 

"Yes,  and  you  must  also  plan  to  prune  and  clean 
your  fruit  trees  and  grape  vines,  tap  your  maple 
trees  and  make  your  sugar;  spring's  the  farmers' 
busy  season  and  if  I  were  in  your  place  I'd  make  the 
work  easier  and  simpler  by  drawing  a  plan  of  your 
market-garden,  marking  off  the  space  to  be  devoted 
to  each  vegetable,  the  variety  planted,  the  time  of 
planting  and  the  time  the  crops  are  harvested,  as 
well  as  the  crops  destined  to  be  planted  on  the  same 
space  later.  This  will  serve  as  a  guide  in  planting 
and  harvesting  this  year  and  next  season  by  refer- 
ring to  it  you'll  be  able  to  learn  which  things  suc- 
ceeded best,  the  length  of  time  they  required  to  ma- 
ture and  the  amount  you  obtained  from  each. ' ' 

"That  strikes  me  as  a  good  scheme,"  admitted 
Tom.  "I'll  start  on  it  at  once.  Let's  go  out  and 
look  over  the  ground  now  and  measure  it  off  and 
then  I'll  begin  the  plan,  with  your  help." 

"This  field  where  you  scattered  the  leaves  is  the 
best  for  your  truck  garden,"  remarked  Ralph  as 


PLANNING    FOR    THE    FUTURE  131 

they  looked  about.  "But  there's  no  use  of  wasting 
any  space  here  for  crops  such  as  corn  and  potatoes ; 
you  can  use  the  adjoining  fields  for  those  and  there 's 
no  necessity  of  making  a  plan  for  them. ' ' 

" Won't  that  big  tree  in  the  field  interfere?" 
asked  Tom.  "We  might  cut  it  down  and  get  a  lot 
of  wood  from  it." 

"It's  too  fine  a  tree  to  sacrifice,"  replied  Selwin, 
"and  besides  it's  not  fit  for  firewood.  It's  an  elm 
and  the  wood  is  tough,  fibrous  and  burns  badly,  but 
you'll  be  mighty  grateful  for  its  shade  on  many  a 
hot  summer's  day  and  you've  no  idea  how  it  will 
add  to  the  landscape.  It  won't  trouble  your  crops 
any  for  you've  plenty  of  space  and  you'll  not  need 
to  plant  close  to  it.  Never  destroy  a  fine  tree  if 
you  can  avoid  it,  Tom.  Bear  in  mind  that  such  a 
tree  as  that  elm  can  never  be  replaced  in  your  life- 
time. It  may  take  but  a  short  time  to  chop  it  down 
but  it  has  required  several  hundred  years  for  it  to 
attain  its  present  size. ' ' 


CHAPTER   VIII 
BUSY   DAYS 

"This  would  be  a  good  time  to  look  over  your 
farm  tools  and  put  them  in  order,"  remarked 
Ralph  a  little  later.  "Nothing  like  being  prepared 
and  ready,  you  know." 

There  were  a  number  of  implements  stored  in  the 
barn  and  lumber-room  and  Tom  and  his  cousin  were 
occupied  for  an  entire  day  in  hauling  these  to  the 
woodshed,  cleaning  them  of  accumulated  dust,  dirt 
and  cobwebs  and  separating  the  good  from  the  bad. 

There  were  two  plows,  one  of  the  conventional 
type,  the  other  a  fairly  modern  disk  plow;  a  good 
steel-toothed  harrow ;  two  seeders ;  two  cultivators ; 
a  manure  spreader ;  a  horse  rake  and  a  mowing  ma- 
chine, besides  a  number  of  hand-rakes,  hoes,  spades, 
forks  and  shovels. 

Everything  was  rusty,  neglected  and  in  need  of 
repairs  and  many  of  the  implements  seemed  worth- 
less and  only  fit  for  the  scrap-heap. 

' '  This  big  plow  will  be  excellent  for  breaking  the 

132 


BUSY    DAYS  133 

ground  and  getting  at  the  subsoil,"  remarked  Balph, 
"but  it's  a  two-horse  affair  and  you'll  have  to 
borrow  a  neighbor's  horse  in  order  to  use  it.  It 
will  pay  to  do  this  even  if  you  have  to  hire  a  horse, 
however,  for  all  your  other  work  can  be  done  with 
your  own  horse  and  the  disk-plow  won't  reach  deep 
enough  to  serve  for  the  first  plowing. 

"The  harrow  needs  some  new  teeth,"  he  contin- 
ued, "but  that's  easily  fixed  and  for  your  purposes 
the  hand-seeder  will  do  as  well  as  the  horse-drawn 
affair  which  is  badly  broken.  Both  cultivators  I 
think  can  be  put  into  serviceable  shape,  although 
they  look  pretty  bad,  I'll  admit.  The  manure 
spreader  is  useful  but  it's  an  obsolete  form  and  is 
not  worth  repairing.  The  horse-rake  is  all  right 
and  I  think  the  mowing  machine  will  serve  for  one 
season  if  gone  over  and  oiled  and  a  few  injured  parts 
are  replaced.  The  hoes  and  other  hand  tools  are  in 
fair  shape  and  altogether  I  don't  think  you'll  need 
to  purchase  anything  but  a  new  manure  spreader, 
some  scythes,  a  spraying  apparatus  and  pruning 
tools.  The  manure  spreader  can  be  left  for  another 
year  as  you'll  have  to  depend  largely  upon  fertilizer 
this  season  and  what  manure  you  do  use  can  be 
spread  by  hand." 


134  UNCLE    ABNER'S    LEGACY 

"What's  the  spraying  apparatus  for?"  asked 
Tom. 

"To  spray  your  trees,  vines  and  plants  with," 
replied  Ralph.  "In  farming  an  ounce  of  preven- 
tion's worth  tons  of  cure  and  by  systematically 
spraying  your  plants  with  insecticides  you'll  pre- 
vent injurious  insects  from  gaining  a  foothold.  Too 
many  farmers  wait  until  the  insects  have  made  ap- 
preciable headway  before  taking  steps  to  destroy 
them  and  their  crops  are  greatly  diminished  in  con- 
sequence. A  spraying  pump,  or  even  a  knapsack 
outfit,  costs  little  money  and  saves  its  cost  many 
times  over  in  a  season." 

"What  do  you  use  in  the  apparatus?"  queried 
Tom. 

"Different  solutions  according  to  the  insects  to  be 
destroyed  and  the  plants  affected,"  answered  his 
cousin.  "Practically  all  injurious  insects  may  be 
divided  into  two  general  classes,  sucking  insects  and 
biting  insects.  The  first  class  includes  such  things 
as  plantlice,  scale  insects,  bugs,  mites,  etc.,  and  the 
second  class  includes  those  creatures  which  actually 
devour  the  foliage  itself,  such  as  caterpillars,  grass- 
hoppers, various  beetles,  etc.  The  same  insecticide 
which  will  kill  one  class  of  pest  may  not  prove  effi- 
cient against  another.     Most  of  the  biting  insects 


BUSY    DAYS  135 

may  be  destroyed  by  spraying  the  plants  with  some 
poison  which  the  pests  swallow  with  their  food, 
whereas  the  sucking  insects  are  destroyed  by  the  in- 
secticide coming  into  contact  with  the  insects '  bodies 
externally.  Still  other  sprays  are  used  to  destroy 
fungus  and  mildew  diseases.  Kerosene  and  whale 
oil,  sulphur-wash,  lime,  resin  and  soaps  are  all  use- 
ful in  killing  the  sucking  insects ;  Paris  green,  arse- 
nate of  lead  and  other  poisons  are  used  for  the  biting 
species,  and  Bordeaux  mixture,  and  various  other 
compounds  are  employed  for  mildew,  fungus,  etc." 

"I  shouldn't  think  farmers  could  ever  raise  any- 
thing with  so  many  enemies  about, ' '  remarked  Tom. 
"They  must  spend  most  of  their  time  fighting  in- 
sects." 

"They  don't  spend  half  as  much  time  that  way 
as  they  should,"  commented  Selwin.  "If  you  keep 
insect  pests  in  check  there's  little  trouble;  the 
greatest  losses  are  due  to  neglecting  the  crops  until 
the  insects  and  diseases  have  gone  beyond  control." 

Several  days  were  devoted  to  taking  apart,  clean- 
ing, oiling  and  repairing  the  various  tools  and  ma- 
chines and  when  at  last  the  work  was  accomplished 
the  rejuvenated  implements  appeared  like  new  in 
their  fresh  coats  of  paint  and  with  steel  parts  bright 
and  polished. 


136      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

The  days  were  now  lengthening,  bare  patches  of 
ground  showed  here  and  there  through  the  snow  and 
the  trout  brook  broke  through  its  icy  covering  and 
sparkled  gayly  in  the  sunshine. 

On  every  hand  were  evidences  that  the  winter 
had  lost  its  grip  and  that  spring  was  approaching. 

The  hens  had  almost  ceased  laying  but  Kitty's 
flowers,  potted  plants  and  budded  bulbs  more  than 
made  up  for  the  loss  from  the  eggs  and  she  could 
readily  have  disposed  of  ten  times  the  number  of 
flowers  that  she  could  furnish. 

"Next  year  you  can  grow  flowers  on  a  large 
scale,"  said  Ealph.  "We  can  build  a  hot-bed  green- 
house which  will  serve  your  purpose  just  as  well  as 
an  expensive  steam-heated  affair  and  by  starting  in 
early  you  can  have  an  abundance  of  flowers  all 
winter. ' ' 

"I  expect  the  sap's  commenced  to  run  and  we'd 
better  start  our  sugar-making,"  remarked  Ealph 
one  morning.  ' '  Suppose  we  go  over  to  your  woods 
and  tap  the  trees ! ' ' 

Accordingly  he  and  Tom  set  forth,  armed  with 
buckets  and  an  auger,  for  the  maple  grove  beyond 
the  brook.  At  the  edge  of  the  stream  Selwin  cut 
several  sections  of  elder  stems  and  Tom  asked  what 
they  were  for. 


BUSY    DAYS  137 

"We'll  use  them  for  troughs,"  replied  his  cousin. 
"Elder's  hollow  and  by  splitting  these  pieces  and 
sharpening  one  end  we  can  drive  them  into  the  holes 
in  the  maples  and  save  the  trouble  of  whittling  out 
wooden  troughs.  We're  not  going  to  gather  such 
a  large  amount  of  sap  that  we'll  need  anything 
better  to-day  and  if  we  find  the  sap  is  running  well 
we  can  make  proper  troughs,  bring  over  a  lot  of 
pails  and  a  big  kettle  and  boil  down  the  sap  in 
the  woods.  There's  still  enough  snow  over  here  to 
use  the  sled  and  we'll  make  a  regular  picnic  of  it." 

When  they  reached  the  first  of  the  trees  holes 
were  bored  through  the  bark  and  even  before  the 
auger  was  withdrawn  the  sap  commenced  to  trickle 
down  the  trunk.  A  piece  of  the  elder  was  driven 
into  the  hole,  a  bucket  placed  beneath  and  Tom 
delightedly  watched  the  sap  drip  steadily  into  the 
pail. 

Both  buckets  were  filled  with  sap,  the  holes  were 
then  plugged  up  and  Tom  and  Ralph  returned  to  the 
farm.  Here  the  sap  was  placed  in  a  kettle  on  the 
stove  and  that  evening  home-made  maple  syrup  was 
voted  the  most  delicious  thing  they  had  ever  tasted. 

The  daily  picnics  in  the  sugar  grove  were  good 
fun  and  at  the  end  of  the  week  nearly  sixty  pounds 


138      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

of  sugar  had  been  gathered  and  safely  stored  in 
the  cellar  of  the  farm  house. 

"I'm  mighty  glad  we  saved  those  trees,"  re- 
marked Tom.  "It's  fine  to  get  all  this  splendid 
sugar  and  syrup  right  from  trees  without  any  trou- 
ble about  planting  and  cultivating  and  all  that  sort 
of  thing." 

'Yes,"  replied  Ralph,  "and  the  best  of  it  is 
that  with  every  season  the  amount  you  obtain  will 
increase.  A  good  maple  grove  is  a  never-ending 
source  of  income.  You're  too  far  south  to  get  the 
best  results  from  the  trees  but  wherever  sugar  ma- 
ples grow  sap  and  sugar  may  be  obtained.  A  great 
many  people  think  that  maple  sugar  can  be  made 
only  in  the  most  northern  states  and  don't  bother  to 
tap  their  trees  and  I  doubt  if  any  of  your  neighbors 
ever  have  sugar  or  syrup  from  their  own  farms." 

Tom  had  already  planted  radishes  in  the  hotbeds 
and  he  was  highly  elated  when  the  first  tiny,  green 
leaves  of  the  seedlings  appeared  above  the  surface 
of  the  ground.  Early  in  March  he  pulled  up  some 
of  the  crisp,  pink  roots  and  the  owners  of  Ridgelea 
Farm  partook  of  their  first  crop. 

"0,  let's  take  some  over  to  Aunt  Mandy,"  cried 
Kitty.  "She  and  Grand 'ther  Joe  will  be  so  sur- 
prised." 


BUSY    DAYS  139 

" Bully,"  agreed  Tom.  "I'll  bet  they  never  saw 
native  radishes  in  March  before  and  I'll  ask  him 
about  lending  his  horse  to  plow  my  field  at  the  same 
time. ' ' 

"Where  in  Sam  Hill  did  ye  git  them?"  asked  the 
old  man  when  the  radishes  were  presented. 

"Out  of  our  own  garden,"  cried  Kitty  gayly. 
"They're  the  first  of  our  crops." 

"Well,  I'll  be  durned,"  was  all  Gran'ther  Joe 
could  say. 

"Sure  I'll  lend  ye  old  Nell  to  hitch  up  ter  plow 
with,"  he  replied  to  Tom's  request.  "I  allers  bor- 
rows a  hoss  to  help  me  an'  I'll  be  right  glad  ter 
'commerdate  you  folks." 

"I'll  let  you  have  our  horse  when  you  want  it," 
said  Tom.  "We're  the  nearest  and  it's  time  we  did 
something  to  return  your  favors." 

It  was  some  time  before  their  visit  to  Gran'ther 
Joe  that  Ralph  announced  that  it  would  be  a  good 
plan  to  prune  the  grape  vines  and  fruit  trees. 

"If  we  wait  longer  we'll  lose  too  much  sap  and  the 
buds  will  be  injured,"  he  remarked.  "But  it's  al- 
most as  great  a  mistake  to  prune  too  early.  Many 
grape  growers  start  pruning  in  January,  but  Feb- 
ruary is  the  most  suitable  time  and  while  we're  a 
little  late  the  sap  has  not  yet  commenced  to  run  too 


140      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

much.  In  very  cold  weather  the  vines  are  frozen 
and  brittle  and  great  skill  is  required  in  order  to 
know  which  portions  to  cut  away  and  which  to  leave. 
Pruning  done  too  late  leaves  the  vines  to  bleed  and 
thus  lose  a  great  deal  of  vitality.  If  pruned  after 
the  buds  have  begun  to  swell  and  while  the  nights 
are  still  cold  the  wounds  rapidly  heal  and  little  sap 
is  lost.  Your  vines  have  been  neglected  so  long  that 
you  can  scarcely  expect  very  good  results  this  sea- 
son and  most  of  the  strength  of  the  vines  will  be 
devoted  to  forming  new  wood." 

"How  can  you  tell  what  to  cut  and  what  to 
leave?"  asked  Tom. 

"An  expert  can  determine  by  the  appearance  of 
the  bark,"  replied  his  cousin.  "But  it's  easier  to 
judge  by  the  buds,  which  only  appear  on  live  wood. ' ' 

They  had  now  reached  the  arbors  and  Ealph 
pointed  out  the  swelling  buds  and  explained  that 
the  fruit  is  always  produced  on  the  new  sprouts 
formed  each  season  and  that  these  grow  from  the 
wood  of  the  previous  year. 

"While  every  bud  may  grow,"  he  said,  "yet  only 
a  portion  of  them  will  bear  grapes  and  a  profes- 
sional grape-grower  can  tell  by  their  appearance 
which  will  and  which  will  not  bear.  As  a  general 
thing  the  strongest,  largest  buds  will  be  the  most 


BUSY    DAYS  141 

productive  and  in  order  to  cause  these  to  produce 
the  finest  and  largest  bunches  of  fruit  it  is  necessary 
to  remove  all  superfluous  buds.  A  shoot  always 
bears  its  fruit  near  the  base  and  the  outer  portion 
then  develops  into  a  leaf-covered  vine.  Two  clus- 
ters of  grapes  to  a  shoot  are  enough  and  the  number 
of  shoot-buds  to  be  left  on  a  vine  must  be  gauged 
by  the  health,  strength  and  size  of  the  plant." 

"Well,  I  think  there's  a  lot  of  science  even  in 
pruning  grape  vines,"  remarked  Tom.  "I  always 
thought  all  one  had  to  do  was  to  cut  off  a  lot  of  the 
stems. ' ' 

"A  good  many  people  have  that  same  idea,"  re- 
plied his  cousin,  "and  they  snip  off  the  shoots  here 
and  there  without  knowing  what  they're  doing  or 
what  the  pruning  is  for." 

As  he  spoke  he  was  taking  the  vines  down  from 
their  supports  while  Tom,  at  his  direction,  untangled 
the  branches. 

"Be  careful  not  to  break  or  bruise  the  buds," 
cautioned  Kalph.  "It's  unfortunate  that  we  are  com- 
pelled to  tear  down  the  vines,  but  they're  so  tangled 
and  clogged  with  dead  shoots  that  it's  impossible  to 
p.rune  them  otherwise." 

He  then  proceeded  to  cut  away  all  but  four  or 
five  of  the  best  branches  on  each  vine  and  pruned 
these  back  until  but  a  dozen  or  so  buds  were  left 


142  UNCLE    ABNER'S    LEGACY 

on  each  branch,  with  the  several  stalks  radiating 
from  the  upper  portion  of  the  sturdy  trunk. 

The  old  netting  support  was  then  taken  down  and 
with  Tom's  help  stout  wires  were  stretched  between 
the  trellis  posts  with  the  upper  wire  about  six  feet 
above  the  ground. 

The  branches  were  then  carefully  extended  along 
these  wires  and  tied  in  position. 

"That  looks  like  a  pretty  bare  sort  of  arbor," 
remarked  Tom  as  they  tied  the  branches  to  the 
wires.  "I  shouldn't  think  we'd  have  any  vines  to 
give  shade." 

"If  you  want  shade  you  should  carry  the  main 
stalks  over  the  trellis  and  trim  them  so  as  to  leave 
lateral  shoots  at  various  heights,  but  the  method 
I've  followed  will  make  it  much  easier  to  pick  the 
fruit  and  for  shade  you  can  plant  some  quick- 
growing,  ornamental  vines,  such  as  gourds,  morning 
glories,  etc.,"  explained  Ralph.  "Your  grape 
crop,"  he  continued,  "may  not  amount  to  much  this 
year  but  the  vines  are  fine,  large  specimens  and  with 
a  little  care  and  pruning  and  with  some  rich  fer- 
tilizer about  the  roots  they'll  add  considerably  to 
your  income  in  a  few  years." 

The  next  day  the  orchard  was  visited  and  the 
trees  inspected. 


BUSY    DAYS  143 

"There  are  a  lot  of  good  trees  here,"  declared 
Selwin,  "but  they  all  need  pruning  and  cleaning 
and  many  of  the  trees  are  so  far  gone  as  to  be 
worthless.  They'll  provide  quite  a  little  firewood 
and  the  orchard  will  be  the  better  by  their  removal. ' ' 

To  prune  and  clean  up  the  orchard  was  no  small 
job  and  nearly  three  weeks  passed  before  Ralph 
was  satisfied.  Under  his  cousin's  instruction  Tom 
had  already  learned  to  handle  an  axe  very  well  and 
he  now  had  a  chance  to  show  his  skill  in  cutting 
down  a  number  of  trees.  Tom  found  apple  and 
pear  wood  tough  and  hard  but  with  axe  and  saw  the 
two  set  to  work  and  at  the  end  of  a  week  the  worth- 
less trees  had  been  felled  and  hauled  to  the  wood- 
pile by  the  horse  and  the  branches  and  twigs  had 
been  gathered  up  and  burned. 

"There's  no  use  in  saving  them,"  remarked 
Ralph,  "they're  covered  with  insects  and  if  they're 
left  until  warm  weather  the  pests  will  spread  to  the 
other  trees." 

Ladders  were  then  brought  and  Ralph  and  Tom 
climbed  about  in  the  trees,  sawing,  chopping  and 
cutting  until,  as  Tom  expressed  it,  the  trees  looked 
as  if  a  "hurricane  had  passed." 

The  amount  of  dead  and  decaying  limbs  which 
Selwin  said  should  be  removed  was  astonishing  and 
formed  a  huge  pile  which  was  promptly  burned. 


144      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

Even  then  the  work  was  not  over  for  Ralph  pointed 
out  the  innumerable  scale  insects,  caterpillar-nests, 
cocoons  and  eggs  which  were  hidden  in  crevices 
of  the  bark,  in  tiny  hollows  and  in  every  available 
retreat. 

"If  you  expect  any  results  from  these  poor,  neg- 
lected trees,  you'll  have  to  destroy  all  of  these  pests 
possible,"  he  declared,  "and  it's  easier  to  do  it  now 
than  later." 

"All  right,"  agreed  Tom.  "I  suppose  it's  all  a 
part  of  modern  scientific  farming  and  I  don't  mind 
the  work. ' ' 

1 '  That 's  the  proper  spirit, ' '  said  Ralph.  ' '  I  don't 
suppose  this  orchard  has  produced  anything  but  a 
few  sour,  cider  apples  and  knotty,  deformed  pears 
for  years,  and  I've  no  doubt  your  farmer  neighbors 
will  think  it  time  and  labor  wasted  to  try  to  do 
anything  with  the  trees,  but  the  'proof  of  the  pud- 
ding's in  the  eating'  as  the  old  saying  is  and  we'll 
wait  until  next  fall  before  we  pass  judgment.  Most 
of  the  trees  are  grafted  and  there's  no  reason  why 
they  shouldn't  bear  good  fruit." 

"I  was  reading  about  grafting  in  one  of  the 
pamphlets,"  remarked  Tom.  "It  says  a  tree  can 
be  grafted  to  bear  several  different  kinds  of  fruit 
at  once." 


BUSY    DAYS  145 

"That's  perfectly  true,"  replied  his  cousin. 
"Next  winter  we'll  try  some  experiments  in  graft- 
ing if  you  wish ;  it 's  too  late  for  this  season. ' ' 

"Is  it  hard  to  graft?"  asked  Tom. 

"It's  quite  easy  if  a  little  care  is  taken,"  replied 
Ralph.  "There  are  numerous  methods,  such  as 
whip-grafting,  cleft-grafting,  bridge-grafting,  sad- 
dle-grafting, splice-grafting,  tongue -grafting,  etc., 
and  in  addition  there's  a  variety  of  grafting 
known  as  ' budding.'  Any  number  of  grafts  or  buds 
may  be  made  on  one  tree  and  each  graft,  as  it  grows 
out,  will  bear  the  fruit  or  flower  peculiar  to  the  tree 
from  which  the  graft  was  obtained.  I  don't  mean 
that  a  cherry  can  be  grafted  on  an  apple  or  a  peach 
on  a  cherry  however.  Grafting  or  budding  can 
only  be  done  upon  trees  of  the  same  kind  as  the 
graft,  or  upon  closely  related  kinds.  Pears  may  be 
grafted  on  quince  and  almonds  on  peach  or  plum,  or 
vice  versa,  but  it  would  be  impossible  to  graft  a 
lemon  on  a  cherry  or  a  plum  on  an  apple." 

Tom  thought  it  would  be  great  fun  to  have  apple 
trees  bearing  a  dozen  or  more  varieties  of  fruit  and 
declared  that  next  winter  he'd  spend  a  lot  of  time 
at  the  work. 

In  the  meantime  he  and  Ralph  worked  indus- 
triously at  the  trees,  scraping  off  the  loose  bark, 


146      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

destroying  cocoons  and  caterpillar-nests  and  dig- 
ging out  boring  beetles  from  their  retreats  in  the 
wood.  Then  all  the  trees  were  given  a  good  coat 
of  whitewash  and  Selwin  announced  that  nothing 
more  could  be  done. 

"Whew!  I've  never  worked  so  hard  in  my  life," 
exclaimed  Tom  when  the  orchard  was  finally  fin- 
ished. 

"  Remember  what  Uncle  Ab  said  about  hard 
work,"  laughed  his  sister.  "I  haven't  heard  you 
complain  about  indigestion  or  headaches  this  win- 
ter, Tom,  and  I  do  believe  you've  gained  weight." 

"Oh,  I'm  not  complaining,  sis,"  replied  Tom. 
"I've  never  minded  cold  weather  less  and  I've  felt 
fine.  I  know  I've  gained  in  health  and  weight  and 
you  have  too." 

' '  Nothing  like  out-door  work, ' '  commented  Ralph, 
"but  there's  no  use  in  overdoing  and  working  so 
much  you  grow  tired  of  farming  before  you've  really 
begun.  'All  work  and  no  play  makes  Jack  a  dull 
boy,'  you  know.  What  do  you  say  to  taking  a  day 
or  two  off  and  trying  our  luck  for  trout,  Tom?" 

"Hurrah!  That  will  be  splendid.  I'd  almost  for- 
gotten about  the  brook." 

The  next  day  was  spent  with  rod  and  line  at  the 


BUSY   DAYS  147 

brook  and  the  two  fishermen  returned  late  in  the 
afternoon  with  fine  strings  of  trout. 

"I  believe  Mr.  Grayson  would  love  some  of  these 
trout,"  remarked  Kitty.  "Can't  we  take  some  in  to 
him?" 

"Of  course  we  can,  Kit,"  replied  Tom.  "I'll  go 
into  town  with  you  to-morrow  and  give  him  the 
trout  and  I'll  buy  the  farm  tools  I  need  and  my 
seeds  and  fertilizer  at  the  same  time.  You'll  come 
along  to  help  me  select  the  things,  won't  you, 
Balph?" 

Mr.  Grayson  was  greatly  pleased  with  the  trout. 

"You  are  in  luck,  Tom,  to  have  a  trout  brook  on 
your  own  land,"  he  declared.  "If  you  care  to  lease 
out  the  privilege  of  fishing  there  on  certain  days  I 
can  arrange  with  some  friends  to  pay  you  well 
for  it." 

"You're  welcome  to  come  out  there  and  fish  when- 
ever you  wish,"  replied  Tom.  "We'd  be  only  too 
glad  to  have  you." 

"I'll  certainly  accept  your  invitation,"  replied 
Grayson,  "but  it's  not  right  that  you  should  give 
up  your  brook  without  remuneration.  The  friends 
to  whom  I  refer  are  members  of  a  fishing  club  and 
they  're  paying  for  the  same  privilege  on  other  prop- 


148      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

erties.  I  'd  like  to  see  you  receive  some  of  the  bene- 
fits." 

"Well,  if  it's  a  club  and  they're  doing  that  sort 
of  thing  right  along  I  'd  just  as  leave  rent  the  rights 
to  the  brook  on  some  days,"  said  Tom,  "but  remem- 
ber you're  a  privileged  character,  Mr.  Grayson,  and 
can  come  out  and  enjoy  yourself  whenever  you 
wish." 

"Very  well,  my  boy,  I'll  pay  you  a  visit  very 
soon,"  agreed  Grayson.  "I'll  enjoy  seeing  your 
farm,  even  if  I  don 't  have  any  luck  with  the  trout. ' ' 

"Beady  for  some  more  work?"  asked  Ralph  the 
next  day.  '  ■  The  blackberry  and  raspberry  vines  are 
in  need  of  attention  and  then  you  can  commence 
plowing.  The  frost's  nearly  out  of  the  earth  and  the 
sooner  the  ground's  broken  the  better." 

To  Tom  the  tangled,  thorny,  litter-filled  mass  of 
vines  appeared  hopeless  but  his  cousin  had  a  differ- 
ent opinion. 

"They're  badly  neglected,"  he  remarked,  "but 
they're  strong,  healthy  plants  and  only  require 
proper  pruning,  care  and  cultivation  to  produce 
splendid  crops  of  berries." 

"All  these  vines,"  he  continued,  "produce  their 
fruits  on  shoots  or  canes  sent  up  the  preceding  year 
and  after  the  fruit  is  borne  these  canes  die  down. 


BUSY    DAYS  149 

It's  this  accumulation  of  dead  stalks  which  makes 
the  vines  appear  like  a  jungle  or  a  brush-pile." 

"Then  I  suppose  the  proper  idea  is  to  cut  away 
all  the  dead  stalks  and  prune  the  new  ones  that  grow 
out?"  said  Tom. 

"Precisely,"  replied  his  cousin.  "I  see  you're 
learning  the  principles  of  pruning  already." 

"If  the  bushes  are  cared  for  each  autumn  it's 
comparatively  easy  to  keep  the  vines  clear  and  free 
from  trash,"  he  added,  "but  here  we've  the  accu- 
mulated rubbish  of  years.  Each  year  the  old  canes 
should  be  removed  as  soon  as  the  berries  are  over 
and  the  new  shoots,  which  will  bear  the  flowers  and 
fruit  the  next  year,  should  be  cut  back." 

"Are  blackberries  and  raspberries  treated  the 
same  way?"  asked  Tom  as  he  worked  industriously 
among  the  bushes. 

"In  a  general  way,  yes,"  replied  Ealph.  "Most 
of  the  black  raspberries  throw  out  lateral  branches 
the  first  season  and  these  should  be  cut  back  when 
two  or  three  feet  in  length  to  force  the  growth  of 
the  side  branches  which  will  bear  the  following  year. 
As  soon  as  warm  weather  arrives  these  new  shoots 
may  be  cut  back  to  a  foot  or  less  in  length,  thus 
keeping  the  bushes  compact  and  insuring  more  and 
better  fruit.     Some  of  the  red  raspberries  have  a 


150      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

similar  habit  while  others,  as  well  as  blackberries, 
seldom  branch.  With  the  former  the  pruning  should 
be  done  as  for  the  black  varieties  whereas  the  non- 
branching  kinds  must  be  treated  differently.  If 
these  are  cut  back  in  early  summer  the  next  season's 
crop  will  be  small,  for  a  large  portion  of  the  strength 
of  the  plants  will  be  exhausted  in  making  new  wood. 
It  is  better  to  cut  away  all  surplus  canes  after  the 
vines  have  stopped  bearing  in  the  autumn.  Four 
to  six  shoots  are  sufficient  for  each  plant  when  the 
bushes  grow  in  hills  and  if  planted  in  rows  three 
shoots  to  a  foot  are  enough.  Such  treatment  insures 
large,  strong  stems  which  will  not  bend  or  break 
with  the  weight  of  leaves  and  berries,  but  after  a 
heavy  rain  they  will  often  droop  and  it's  a  good 
plan  to  furnish  a  support  of  some  sort  for  all  berry 
bushes. " 

" These  don't  seem  to  have  been  supported,"  re- 
marked Tom.    "They're  mostly  flat  on  the  ground." 

1  'In  a  way  that's  been  fortunate,"  said  Ealph. 
"It's  served  to  protect  them  from  injury  by  frost 
and  ice  and  many  growers  purposely  lay  the  bushes 
flat  on  the  earth  and  protect  them  with  leaves  or 
straw  over  winter.  Moreover  a  number  of  the  side 
branches  have  'heeled  in'  of  their  own  accord  and 
have  taken  root  as  you  see."    As  he  spoke  Ralph 


BUSY    DAYS  151 

held  up  a  raspberry  branch  with  a  bunch  of  rootlets 
clinging  to  it. 

"Isn't  that  funny,"  said  Tom  as  he  examined  the 
stalk.  "I  didn't  know  a  branch  would  take  root 
that  way." 

"It's  one  of  the  easiest  methods  of  propagating 
raspberry  bushes,"  replied  his  cousin.  "If  you  cut 
these  sprouting  canes  from  the  bushes  and  set  them 
out,  each  one  will  form  a  new  bush  and  you  can  add 
greatly  to  the  number  of  your  plants  in  this  way. 
Red  raspberries  also  send  out  underground  shoots 
from  which  so-called  'suckers'  sprout  up  and  these 
suckers,  with  a  portion  of  the  root,  may  be  dug  up 
and  transplanted." 

"I  suppose  you  have  to  graft  them  the  same  as 
other  fruits  to  get  good  results,"  remarked  Tom. 

"No,"  replied  Ealph,  "when  plants  are  propa- 
gated from  roots  or  cuttings  they  bear  the  same 
fruit  as  the  parent,  save  in  varieties  which  are 
grafted.  Thus  suckers,  cuttings  or  roots  from  below 
the  graft  on  an  apple,  rose  or  other  plant  will  pro- 
duce the  ungrafted,  inferior  fruit  of  the  parent  stock 
whereas  a  cutting,  bud  or  slip  from  above  the  graft 
will  produce  the  same  fruit  as  that  borne  by  the 
grafted  portion.  Seedlings  from  a  grafted  plant 
will  not  'come  true'  however  but  may  be  better  or 


152      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

worse  than  either  the  graft  or  the  parent  stock.  In 
the  case  of  the  raspberries  and  blackberries  how- 
ever, suckers,  'heeled  in'  plants  or  cuttings  of  any 
sort  will  produce  the  same  fruit  as  the  bush  from 
which  they  were  taken  as  these  vines  are  never 
grafted. ' ' 

At  last  the  bushes  were  all  pruned  and  cleared, 
the  dead  trash  removed,  the  rooted  branches  and 
suckers  replanted  and  the  close  cropped  canes  were 
secured  to  wires  stretched  between  stakes. 

"Well,  I'd  never  have  believed  that  tangle  of  old 
vines  could  have  been  made  so  neat  and  orderly," 
remarked  Tom  as  they  picked  up  their  tools  and 
started  for  the  house.  "It  certainly  has  been  im- 
proved." 

They  found  Kitty  busily  at  work  raking  and  clear- 
ing up  the  land  before  the  house  and  she  pointed 
with  delight  to  some  tender  green  sprouts  pushing 
through  the  soil  she  had  uncovered  by  raking  away 
the  dead  leaves. 

"Doesn't  that  look  springlike?"  she  exclaimed. 
"And  do  you  know,  Cousin  Ealph,  I  saw  a  robin 
to-day?" 

"That's  a  good  sign,"  said  Selwin.  "I've  no 
doubt  we'll  have  fairly  warm  weather  from  now  on 
but  you  cannot  place  too  much  reliance  upon  either 


BUSY    DAYS  153 

robins  or  bluebirds  as  heralds  of  spring.  Many  of 
these  birds  frequently  stay  with  us  all  winter  but 
keep  out  of  sight  in  their  winter  retreats  in  the 
woods  and  evergreen  groves.  The  best  sign  of 
settled  spring  weather  is  the  swallow.  One  swal- 
low doesn't  make  a  summer  perhaps,  but  after  the 
swallows  arrive  there's  little  fear  of  cold  weather." 
"Well,  I'd  like  a  lot  of  swallows — of  food,"  re- 
marked Tom;  "I'm  as  hungry  as  a  bear." 


CHAPTEE  IX 
FARMING    IN    EARNEST 

The  willows  by  the  brook  were  gray  with  downy 
"pussies";  bluebirds  twittered  as  they  flitted  from 
tree  to  tree  and  here  and  there  golden  dandelions 
glowed  in  sheltered,  sunny  spots. 

For  days  Ralph  and  Tom  had  labored  in  the  fields, 
taking  turns  at  driving  and  guiding  the  big  plow, 
until  arms  ached  and  backs  seemed  on  the  point  of 
breaking.  Then  came  the  easier  work  with  the  disk- 
plows,  followed  by  hour  after  hour  with  the  harrow 
until  Tom  thought  the  work  would  never  end. 

"Goodness!  I  never  thought  ten  acres  was  so 
much  land,"  he  exclaimed  as  he  stopped  to  rest 
and  kicked  the  clinging,  damp  soil  from  his  boots. 
"How  many  more  times  have  we  got  to  go  over 
this  field  anyway?" 

"It's  nearly  done,"   replied  his  cousin.     "But 

you're  lucky  to  have  such  clear  soil.    Think  of  the 

work  the  old  settlers  had  in  breaking  raw  land,  or  in 

plowing  some   of  the  stony  New  England  farms. 

154 


The  brook  broke  through  its  icy  covering  [Page  136] 


Ralph  and  Tom  had  labored  in  the  fields 


FARMING    IN    EARNEST  155 

How  would  you  like  to  plow  and  harrow  a  farm  of 
several  hundred  acres  ? ' ' 

"None  of  it  for  me,"  declared  Tom.  "This  is  all 
I  want  to  handle.  Eut  they  never  plowed  those  big 
farms  by  hand,  did  they?" 

"Certainly  they  did,"  said  Ralph.  "Although 
nowadays  motors,  traction  engines  and  steam  plows 
have  revolutionized  the  big  wheat  and  corn  farms 
of  the  west  and  hand  plowing 's  a  thing  of  the  past." 

1 '  Well,  I  'm  glad  we  didn  't  undertake  to  plant  any 
more  than  this, ' '  said  Tom  as  he  picked  up  the  reins 
and  started  across  the  field.  "I'd  have  been  dis- 
couraged before  I  began  to  plant. ' ' 

"Spring  is  here,"  cried  Kitty  as  Tom  and  Ralph 
drove  in  from  the  fields  one  afternoon.  "I  saw 
three  swallows  to-day." 

"And  the  field's  all  ready  to  plant,"  announced 
Tom.  "To-morrow  we  begin  sowing  the  seeds  and 
then  for  farming  in  earnest." 

Five  acres  of  the  plowed  land  was  reserved  for 
potatoes,  two  acres  for  corn  and  the  remainder  for 
the  market  garden. 

"Potatoes  are  one  of  the  most  profitable  crops 
you  can  raise,"  Ralph  said  to  Tom  as  they  were 
planning  for  the  garden.  "There  is  always  a  de- 
mand for  them  and  the  only  reason  that  many  farm- 


156      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

ers  consider  them  unprofitable  is  because  they  don't 
get  the  best  varieties,  do  not  attend  to  the  minute 
details  of  cultivation  and  make  the  mistake  of  sav- 
ing their  own  seed." 

"What's  the  reason  their  own  seed  isn't  good?" 
asked  Tom. 

' '  To  get  the  best  results  from  any  plant  the  seeds 
sown  must  be  of  the  very  highest  grade  and  the  best 
grade  seed  is  not  always  grown  where  the  crops  of 
the  same  plants  are  most  profitable,"  replied  Sel- 
win.  "Thus  the  best  potatoes  for  planting  come 
from  Maine,  New  Hampshire,  Vermont  and  Canada 
and  even  the  Bermuda  potatoes  are  grown  from 
northern  seed.  Moreover,  seed  saved  from  any  plant 
by  farmers  is  seldom  pure.  Where  a  number  of 
varieties  are  grown  near  together  it's  practically 
impossible  to  prevent  them  from  becoming  mixed 
and  producing  mongrel  seeds.  The  professional 
seed  growers  devote  large  areas  to  each  separate 
variety  and  moreover  they  secure  their  stock  of 
seeds  from  widely  separated  districts,  each  famous 
for  some  particular  plant,  vegetable  or  flower  seed. 
If  you  want  the  best  results  always  purchase  your 
seed  supplies  from  reliable  firms  and  don't  try  to 
raise  your  own. ' ' 

"How  many  potatoes  should  I  get  from  the  five 


FARMING    IN    EARNEST  157 

acres?"  asked  Tom.    "It  looks  like  a  lot  of  land  to 
me." 

"Most  farmers  are  content  with  from  100  to  150 
bushels  to  the  acre,  and  not  very  good  potatoes  at 
that,"  said  Ealph,  "but  as  many  as  500  bushels 
may  be  produced  on  an  acre.  Under  proper  condi- 
tions and  with  good  care  you  ought  to  have  fully 
1,000  bushels  from  your  field.  If  you  plant  several 
varieties,  early,  late  and  medium,  you  can  command 
better  prices  than  if  all  are  of  one  kind,  and  as  the 
tubers  are  dug  you  can  plant  spinach,  celery  and 
other  vegetables  in  the  land  left  vacant.  By  the  time 
your  other  seeds  are  all  planted  it  will  be  late  enough 
to  plant  the  potatoes  and  you  can  gain  considerable 
time  on  the  earliest  varieties  by  sprouting  them  be- 
fore planting.  If  this  is  done  you  should  have 
potatoes  on  the  market  fully  two  weeks  before  any 
planted  out  of  doors  in  the  ordinary  way  and  you 
can  obtain  fancy  prices  in  consequence.  To  sprout 
the  potatoes,  select  the  medium-sized  seed  potatoes 
and  place  the  sets  in  hotbeds  for  a  couple  of  weeks 
before  it's  time  to  plant.  If  they  are  then  lifted 
out  and  set  on  fresh  horse  manure  the  heat  will 
induce  very  rapid  growth.  Another  method  is  to 
set  the  tubers  close  together  in  open  trays  in  the 
fall.    Keep  them  where  it's  fairly  cool  and  there's 


158       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

plenty  of  air  and  light,  and  short,  firm  sprouts  will 
be  formed  before  spring.  Either  method  requires 
some  care  and  trouble  but  the  extra  time  gained  and 
the  prices  obtained  make  it  worth  while." 

" Isn't  there  any  way  to  hurry  up  other  things 
also?"  asked  Tom. 

' l  Yes, ' '  reflected  his  cousin.  ' '  Many  of  the  harder- 
shelled  seeds,  such  as  beets,  carrots,  salsify,  parsnip, 
etc.,  may  be  hastened  by  steeping  them  in  hot  water, 
care  being  taken  not  to  have  the  water  hot  enough 
to  injure  them.  Usually  if  they  are  soaked  for 
twenty-four  hours  it's  enough  and  you  can  gain 
quite  a  little  time  by  the  process.  Many  things 
may  also  be  started  early  by  the  use  of  'forcing 
hills.'  These  are  in  reality  individual  cold-frames 
made  where  the  plants  are  to  remain  permanently. 
Such  plants  as  asparagus,  rhubarb,  melons, 
squashes,  cucumbers,  etc.,  do  very  well  indeed  by 
the  use  of  forcing  hills  and  may  be  advanced  from 
two  to  four  weeks  in  this  way.  It's  particularly 
valuable  for  squashes  and  cucumbers,  which  bring 
high  prices  early  in  the  season,  but  are  hardly  worth 
raising  later  on.  The  best  way  of  making  forcing 
hills  is  to  have  boxes  in  sections  which  may  be 
packed  away  when  not  in  use.  These  are  placed 
about   the   plants   to   be   forced,   a  pane   of  glass 


FARMING    IN    EARNEST  159 

is  placed  over  each  and  if  the  weather  is  very  cold 
a  light  covering  of  straw  or  leaves  may  be  placed 
around  the  boxes.  Another  way  is  to  make  a  mold 
in  the  earth  by  piling  up  the  soil  around  a  box  and 
then  withdrawing  the  box  and  covering  the  hollow 
with  glass.  Still  another  method  is  to  knock  the 
bottoms  out  of  flower  pots,  set  these  over  the  seeds 
to  be  forced  and  cover  the  ends  with  glass.  The 
two  latter  methods  are  the  best  for  your  purpose 
and  I'd  advise  you  to  start  most  of  your  cucumbers 
and  squashes  in  this  way.  Your  rhubarb  back  of 
the  barn  is  well  started  but  if  you  place  a  removable 
cold-irvi;me  over  it  you'll  get  quick  results.  The 
same  is  true  of  asparagus,  although  the  old  aspara- 
gus bed  here  is  so  neglected  and  run  down  you'll 
scarcely  be  able  to  sell  anything  from  it  this  year. ' ' 
With  Ralph's  help  planting  proceeded  rapidly 
and  peas,  parsnips,  radishes,  salsify,  turnips,  car- 
rots, etc.,  were  sown  in  rapid  succession.  Squashes, 
melons  and  cucumbers  were  planted  with  forcing 
hills  about  them  for  the  earliest  crops.  The  cabbage 
and  cauliflower  plants  were  removed  from  the  hot- 
beds and  set  in  the  field.  Bush  beans,  celery,  lettuce 
and  the  early  potatoes  were  planted,  followed  by  the 
egg  plants,  peppers  and  tomato  plants  from  the  hot- 
beds, after  which  pole  beans,  wax  beans,  okra,  late 


160      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

lettuce  and  similar  things  were  attended  to.  As 
the  last  of  the  lima  beans  and  corn  were  covered 
Tom  threw  himself  on  the  tender  green  grass  be- 
neath the  big  elm  and  exclaimed:  "Well,  that's 
done  at  any  rate.    Now  we  can  loaf  a  while." 

Selwin  laughed.  "Don't  fool  yourself,  my  boy," 
he  remarked.  "Your  planting's  finished  to  be  sure, 
but  you've  no  time  to  loaf,  although  you  can  have 
a  change  of  work  for  a  time.  Don't  forget  your 
plan  to  rig  up  a  pump  and  water  tank.  Then 
there's  the  poultry  to  look  after,  the  flower  boxes 
to  be  filled  and  delivered,  and  the  young  plants  to 
be  cultivated  and  thinned.  And  by  the  way,  I  notice 
you're  already  glad  of  the  shade  of  this  tree,  even 
in  the  spring  sunshine  and  before  the  leaves  are 
out." 

"You're  a  long-headed  chap,  Ealph,"  laughed 
Tom.  "And  I'm  glad  you  made  me  save  this  tree, 
but  my  word,  you  are  a  driver  and  now  you  put 
me  in  mind  of  it  there  are  still  other  things  to  be 
done.  How  about  the  automobile  I  was  going  to 
buy  and  the  den  of  foxes  Gran'ther  Joe  was  to  show 
me  1  Golly,  we  've  got  to  hustle.  I  'm  going  over  to  see 
about  those  foxes  this  afternoon  and  I've  made  up 
my  mind  we  simply  must  have  a  car.    The  old  horse 


FARMING    IN    EARNEST  161 

may  be  all  right  for  hauling  wood  and  plowing  but 
he's  too  slow  for  going  back  and  forth  to  town." 

"It  will  be  economy  to  have  a  machine,"  agreed 
his  cousin.  ' '  Time 's  money  on  a  farm  and  as  for  the 
foxes  it's  about  time  to  dig  them  out  if  we're  to 
do  it  at  all." 

"You  can't  guess  what  a  surprise  I  have  for 
you,"  cried  Kitty  as  she  met  them  near  the  barn. 
"Hurry  up,  both  of  you,"  and  she  led  the  way  to- 
wards the  poultry  yard.  "Just  peek  in  there," 
she  whispered  as  they  reached  the  fox  run. 

Tom  and  Ralph  "peeked  in"  and  Tom  involun- 
tarily gave  an  exclamation  of  delighted  surprise. 
In  a  sunny  corner  of  the  run  sat  the  black  fox  and 
near  him  his  red  mate  lay  resting  upon  her  side, 
while  about  them  played  and  romped  six  of  the 
cutest,  fluffiest  bundles  of  brown  fur  that  Tom  had 
ever  seen. 

At  the  sound  of  his  voice,  however,  the  mother 
leaped  to  her  feet  and  like  a  flash  the  whole  happy 
family  disappeared  in  the  old  barrel  which  Tom  had 
provided  for  a  shelter. 

"Aren't  they  just  lovely?"  exclaimed  Kitty  as  the 
three  walked  away.  "I've  been  watching  them  for 
an  hour  and  they  play  just  like  kittens." 


162      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

"They're  certainly  pretty,"  agreed  Tom.  "I 
wonder  how  many  of  them  will  be  blacks  ? ' ' 

"We're  going  over  to  Gran'ther  Joe's  to  ask  him 
to  show  us  that  fox  den  of  his,"  announced  Tom 
a  little  later.  "If  we  get  another  family  we'll  have 
quite  a  fox  farm." 

"You'll  have  all  you  can  attend  to  between  the 
foxes  and  chickens  and  the  horse,"  laughed  Ralph. 
"How  about  the  cow  and  pigs  and  other  live  stock 
you  talked  about?" 

"I  guess  we'll  have  to  let  them  go  for  this  sea- 
son, or  hire  a  man,"  admitted  Tom.  "I  didn't  real- 
ize there  was  so  much  to  do. ' ' 

"Oh,  do  let's  have  a  cow,"  pleaded  Kitty.  "The 
milk  and  cream  and  butter  will  be  so  good.  I'll 
attend  to  the  chickens  and  foxes  and  the  cow  if  you 
like.  I've  plenty  of  time,  now  my  winter  flowers  are 
all  over  and  my  garden's  planted." 

"You  can  look  after  the  chickens  and  foxes  if 
you  wish,  Kit,"  replied  Tom,  "but  I  draw  the  line 
at  the  rest.  I'm  going  to  hire  a  man  anyway,  to 
help  with  the  work  as  soon  as  the  crops  begin  to 
come  in,  and  I'll  ask  Gran'ther  Joe  about  a  cow 
to-day." 

Gran'ther  Joe  had  just  finished  harrowing  his 


FARMING    IN    EARNEST  163 

fields  when  the  two  reached  his  house  and  he  gladly 
agreed  to  lead  them  to  the  fox  den. 

"  'Spect  ye  must  be  through  harrerin'  or  ye 
wouldn't  be  down  here,"  he  remarked  as  they 
tramped  through  the  fields  towards  the  hills  beyond. 
''Must  'a'  worked  right  smart  to  'a'  got  it  all  done 
so   'arly. ' ' 

' '  Oh,  I  've  planted  all  my  things, ' '  said  Tom.  ' '  We 
finished  harrowing  long  ago. ' ' 

The  old  farmer  stopped  short  and  looked  fixedly 
at  Tom.  "Now,  looka  here,"  he  demanded,  "ye 
don't  'spect  me  ter  b'leeve  that,  do  yet" 

"It's  certainly  true,"  Ralph  assured  him. 
"We've  planted  our  ten  acres  as  Tom  says.  He's 
pushing  things  for  early  crops." 

"Wall  ef  thet  don't  beat  all,"  exclaimed  the 
farmer. 

The  fox  den  proved  to  be  a  hole  in  the  southern 
side  of  a  steep  hill  and  from  the  fresh  earth  outside 
Selwin  declared  it  must  be  occupied  and  he  and  Tom 
commenced  digging  away  with  shovel  and  pick  and 
even  Gran'ther  Joe  took  hold  and  "spelled"  them 
several  times. 

Deeper  and  deeper  they  dug  and  Ealph  announced 
that  they  must  have  nearly  reached  the  nest  when 
there  was  a  sudden  commotion  in  the  earth  and  a 


164      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

big,  reddish-gray  animal  burst  through  the  soil  and 
scampered  off  into  the  nearby  brush.  Tom  gave  a 
startled  yell  as  the  creature  dodged  between  his 
legs;  Ralph  made  a  frantic  grab  at  it  and  fell 
face  down  on  a  pile  of  earth,  and  old  Joe  rolled 
head  over  heels  for  several  feet  in  his  unsuccessful 
attempts  to  reach  the  beast. 

1  i  Consarn  the  critter ! ' '  exclaimed  the  old  man  as 
he  rose  to  his  feet. 

"My,  but  wasn't  he  a  big  fellow,"  cried  Tom. 
"It's  too  bad  we  didn't  get  him." 

His  cousin  burst  out  laughing.  "You  wouldn't 
make  much  raising  foxes  of  that  sort,  Tom,"  he 
exclaimed. 

"Wall,  the  joke's  on  me  I  calcerlate,  but  jist  the 
same  thet  there  was  the  whoppinest  old  woodchuck 
I  ever  sot  my  eyes  on,"  said  Gran'ther  Joe. 

"When  Ralph  and  Tom  returned  to  the  farm  they 
found  Mr.  Grayson,  who  had  spent  the  afternoon 
fishing  in  the  brook. 

"You  see  I  accepted  your  invitation,"  he  said  as 
he  greeted  Tom  and  Ralph.  "And  I've  had  fine 
luck  too.  Kitty's  been  showing  me  about.  I've  seen 
the  foxes  and  the  poultry  and  everything  else  and 
I  think  you've  done  wonders.  It's  a  lovely  situation 
and  I  wouldn  't  mind  living  here  myself.    If  you  ever 


FARMING    IN    EARNEST  165 

want  to  take  'city  folks'  to  board  don't  fail  to  let 
me  know. ' ' 

"We'd  be  only  too  glad  to  have  you  come  out  and 
stay  with  us,"  declared  Tom,  "if  we  had  the  room. 
Perhaps  next  year  or  the  year  after  we'll  add  on 
to  the  house  and  take  boarders,  but  do  come  out  to 
see  us  and  bring  Mrs.  Grayson,  whenever  you  wish. 
Did  you  try  our  maple  sugar?" 

"I  certainly  did,"  replied  Mr.  Grayson.  "And 
it's  the  first  real  maple  sugar  I've  tasted  in  many  a 
year.  Kitty's  given  me  a  big  can  of  it,  but  I'm  sure 
she's  robbed  her  own  larder." 

1  i  Not  a  bit  of  it ! "  exclaimed  Tom.  ' '  We  've  plenty 
and  to  spare.  By  the  way,  how  soon  do  you  want 
your  plant-boxes  delivered1?" 

"Any  time  that's  convenient,"  replied  Mr.  Gray- 
son. "Your  sister  showed  me  those  rustic  boxes 
you  made  and  if  I  may  I'd  like  to  have  my  order 
changed  to  include  new  boxes  of  that  sort  instead 
of  having  my  old  ones  refilled. ' ' 

"But  where  are  the  foxes  you  were  to  find?" 
asked  Kitty. 

Tom  and  Ealph  then  told  of  their  experience  with 
the  woodchuck  and  both  Kitty  and  Mr.  Grayson 
laughed  heartily  at  their  story. 

"I  haven't  enjoyed  myself  so  much  in  years," 


166      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

declared  Mr.  Grayson  as  he  rose  to  take  his  leave. 
"It  makes  me  feel  quite  like  a  boy  again;  nothing 
like  the  simple  life  after  all." 

"Especially  when  one  can  have  all  the  modern 
conveniences,"  laughed  Tom. 

"True  enough,"  agreed  the  other.  "With  rural 
mail  delivery,  telephones,  trolley  cars,  electricity  and 
similar  things  farming  to-day  isn't  much  as  it  was 
when  I  was  a  youngster.  I  suppose  you'll  have  your 
own  automobile  soon?" 

"It's  the  next  thing  on  the  list,"  replied  Tom. 
"I'm  going  to  get  one  this  week." 

"  I  '11  have  to  ask  a  lot  of  advice  about  getting  the 
car,"  Tom  remarked  that  evening.  "I  don't  know 
anything  about  the  various  makes,  but  I  suppose 
one  of  the  light,  cheap  cars  will  be  the  only  thing 
we  can  afford." 

' '  The  cheap  cars  are  all  very  well  for  town  use  or 
for  ordinary  running  about,"  said  his  cousin.  "But 
for  farm  work  you  want  a  strong,  powerful  car  that 
will  stand  any  amount  of  use  and  hard  work.  Style, 
beauty  or  model  is  of  no  importance.  It's  far  wiser 
to  get  a  really  good  second-hand  car  of  some  stan- 
dard make  than  to  buy  a  new  cheap  car  or  a  new 
car  made  by  some  unknown  or  uncertain  firm. ' ' 

"How  much  should  I  pay  for  such  a  machine1?" 


FARMING    IN    EARNEST  167 

asked  Tom.  "I  suppose  even  a  second-hand  car 
will  cost  a  great  deal." 

"Cars  are  rather  more  expensive  in  the  spring 
than  in  the  autumn,"  replied  Ralph,  "but  there 
should  be  no  difficulty  in  finding  a  good  car  for  $300, 
or  less.  The  price  depends  largely  upon  the  make 
and  model  of  the  car  and  its  condition ;  the  original 
cost  of  the  machines  when  new  has  little  influence 
upon  the  prices  asked  for  used  cars." 

"Why,  that's  cheaper  than  a  cycle-car,"  ex- 
claimed Tom.  "I  should  think  everyone  would  buy 
second-hand  cars." 

"Many  people  look  at  automobiles  in  the  same 
light  as  clothes,"  said  his  cousin.  "Appearance  and 
style  are  the  only  features  that  appeal  to  them  and 
they'll  pay  several  thousand  dollars  for  a  car  of 
the  latest  design  and  turn  in  their  old  car  for  a 
mere  song  when  as  likely  as  not  the  old  car  is 
mechanically  superior,  more  reliable  and  more  eco- 
nomical than  the  new  one." 

"I  suppose  economy  is  an  important  matter,"  re- 
marked Tom.  "How  much  does  it  cost  to  keep  a 
car?" 

"That  depends  upon  the  car  as  well  as  upon  the 
care  you  give  it,  the  use  you  put  it  to  and  how  much 
repair  and  upkeep  work  you  can  do  yourself.     The 


168      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

consumption  of  gasolene  will  vary  from  20  or  30 
miles  to  the  gallon  to  3  or  4  miles  in  different  makes 
of  cars.  You  must  bear  in  mind,  however,  that  the 
records  for  economy  quoted  by  the  manufacturers 
are  made  under  the  most  favorable  conditions  and 
that  the  user  of  a  car  can  seldom  if  ever  equal  them. 
As  a  rule,  if  you  obtain  from  12  to  15  miles  to 
the  gallon  of  gasolene  you  are  doing  very  well.  On 
hilly,  sandy  or  bad  roads  the  consumption  is  greater 
than  on  smooth,  level  roads.  The  oil  used  amounts 
to  very  little  and  300  to  500  miles  to  a  gallon  of  oil 
is  common.  Tires  are  the  greatest  expense  in  con- 
nection with  a  car  and  for  that  reason  you  should 
use  the  lightest  car  possible  which  will  stand  up 
under  the  work  demanded  of  it.  Many  tires  are 
guaranteed  for  a  certain  number  of  miles — usually 
3,500  to  5,000 — but  the  makers  charge  enough  for 
such  tires  to  cover  the  risk  of  replacement  and 
more ;  in  other  words  you  are  paying  a  premium,  not 
only  on  the  insurance  of  our  own  tires,  but  on  those 
of  others  as  well.  Many  of  the  cheaper  tires  will 
give  just  as  good  service  even  though  they  carry 
no  guarantee  and  oftentimes  factory  'seconds'  are 
just  as  serviceable  as  any.  As  in  every  other  matter 
relating  to  automobiles  the  success  you  have  with 
tires  is  largely  a  matter  of  personal  care,  but  there's 


FARMING   IN    EARNEST  169 

considerable  chance  in  the  tire  proposition  also. 
I've  sometimes  had  a  tire  stand  up  for  nearly  ten 
thousand  miles  and  another  of  the  same  make  break 
down  in  less  than  500  miles.  A  car  such  as  you'd 
select  would  carry  tires  of  32x3^  inch  size  probably 
and  good  tires  of  that  size  may  be  purchased  for 
$10.00  to  $15.00  each  for  the  casings.  The  tubes  cost 
from  $3.00  up  but  as  the  tubes  may  be  repaired  over 
and  over  again  their  aggregate  cost  is  not  great. 
The  expense  of  repairs  and  replacements  will  de- 
pend entirely  upon  the  care  you  give  the  car,  your 
own  skill  in  mastering  the  mechanical  end  of  it 
and  the  use  you  give  it.  A  man  may  neglect  and 
bang  a  car  about  so  much  that  his  repair  bill  will 
amount  to  several  hundred  dollars  yearly,  while 
another  owner  of  the  same  sort  of  car  might  take 
such  excellent  care  of  it  and  use  it  so  well  that  his 
repairs  wouldn't  cost  twenty-five  dollars  annually." 

"I  guess  I'd  better  learn  all  about  the  car  as 
soon  as  I  get  it,"  said  Tom.  "Is  it  difficult  to  mas- 
ter such  matters?" 

"No,  a  four-cylinder  car  is  not  very  complicated," 
replied  Ealph,  "unless  it's  fitted  with  all  the  latest 
improvements  such  as  electric  lights,  self-starters, 
complicated  ignition  systems,  etc.  You'll  find  no 
trouble  in  learning  all  about  your  car  in  a  short 


170      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

time  and  there's  no  better  way  of  getting  the  most 
service  from  a  car  and  saving  expenses  than  to 
become  thoroughly  familiar  with  every  part  of  it 
and  to  keep  each  and  every  portion  in  good  condi- 
tion and  constantly  'tuned  up'  as  they  say." 

''I  wouldn't  know  a  good  car  from  a  bad  one," 
remarked  Tom.  " That's  why  I'd  be  afraid  to  buy 
a  second-hand  car.  But  I  suppose  you'll  go  to  town 
with  me  and  help  me  pick  one  out?" 

"I'll  be  glad  to,"  replied  his  cousin.  "I  know 
several  reliable  dealers,  but  no  matter  how  reliable 
a  dealer  is  one  must  be  familiar  with  the  various  ma- 
chines and  must  use  care  in  buying  used  automobiles. 
A  car  may  look  all  right  and  a  demonstration  may 
prove  that  it  seemingly  runs  well,  and  yet  injured, 
weak,  mended  or  even  broken  or  cracked  parts  may 
exist,  which  are  hidden  from  view  by  paint,  or  are 
out  of  sight  to  the  casual  observer." 

"I  never  knew  there  were  so  many  kinds  of  cars," 
said  Tom  after  having  looked  over  the  stock  of 
several  dealers. 

"And  I  never  expected  to  take  so  many  rides  in 
one  day, ' '  laughed  Kitty.  ' '  We  Ve  done  nothing  but 
ride  in  automobiles  all  the  forenoon." 

"I  don't  see  how  we're  ever  going  to  decide  which 
is  the  best  car  to  buy,"  Tom  continued.     "Every 


FARMING    IN    EARNEST  171 

one  we  try  seems  to  have  something  in  its  favor." 

''It's  a  process  of  elimination,"  said  Selwin.  <4 By- 
crossing  off  those  we're  sure  we  don't  want  we  can 
narrow  down  the  list  to  a  few  and  then  'twill  be 
comparatively  simple  to  select  the  one  which  is  the 
best  bargain. ' ' 

At  last  the  choice  was  between  two  cars  and 
when  the  owner  of  one  agreed  to  throw  in  an  extra 
tire  as  an  inducement  his  offer  was  accepted. 

"Now  let's  get  that  pump  you  mentioned,"  sug- 
gested Tom.  "And  on  the  way  home  we  '11  go  around 
by  the  grist  mill  and  see  about  the  tank.  If  we're 
to  have  a  supply  of  water  we  might  as  well  get  it 
ready  before  the  crops  take  up  all  our  time." 

"I'm  glad  to  see  you're  taking  the  initiative," 
said  Ralph,  "and  you're  perfectly  right  in  your 
ideas.  There's  no  time  like  the  present  to  fix  up 
any  odds  and  ends  of  work  you  have  in  mind,  for  in 
a  week  or  two  you'll  have  your  attention  fully  occu- 
pied with  your  garden.  Do  you  think  you  '11  be  able 
to  drive  the  car  home  1 ' ' 

"Well,  I've  driven  your  car,  you  know,  and  I'm 
pretty  confident  I  can  handle  this  one, ' '  replied  Tom. 
"But  if  you  don't  mind  I'd  rather  have  you  take 
charge  while  we're  in  town.    I  might  get  into  trouble 


172      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

with  all  the  traffic.    After  we  get  out  on  the  country 
roads  I'll  try  my  hand." 

" That's  wise,"  agreed  Ealph.  ''Too  many  men 
feel  an  over-confidence  in  their  skill  and  accidents 
result.  Handling  a  car  in  the  congested  streets  of 
a  city  is  very  different  from  piloting  it  along  an 
open  road." 

The  pump  was  purchased  very  soon  and  the  party 
headed  towards  home.  Tom  had  no  trouble  in  driv- 
ing after  they  reached  open  country  and  Ealph  in- 
structed and  helped  him  as  they  sped  along.  They 
turned  off  and  visited  the  grist-mill  at  the  cross- 
roads and  after  a  little  bargaining  secured  the  tank 
and  Tom  agreed  to  call  for  it  with  his  horse  and 
wagon. 

"You'll  have  to  build  a  garage  or  shed  for  your 
car  some  day,"  remarked  Selwin.  "It's  all  very 
well  to  store  it  in  the  barn  at  present  for  want  of 
a  better  place,  but  in  case  of  fire  in  the  barn  you 
might  lose  the  car  and  in  case  of  fire  about  the 
car  you'd  likely  lose  the  barn  and  hay.  Next  fall 
you  can  build  a  good  fireproof,  concrete  garage,  but 
temporarily  a  mere  shed  will  do  very  well.  Even 
an  old  wagon-cover  or  tent  would  be  enough  during 
the  summer." 

"We  might  as  well  put  up  something  right  away," 


FARMING    IN    EARNEST  173 

replied  Tom, ' l  and  make  it  big  enough  for  two  cars. 
You'll  bring  yours  out  here  of  course  as  soon  as 
the  painting  is  finished." 

For  several  days  Tom  and  Ealph  were  fully  occu- 
pied in  connecting  the  rotary  pump  with  the  motor, 
fitting  pipes  from  the  pump  to  the  well  and  erecting 
a  rough  but  strong  platform  about  six  feet  in  height 
upon  which  the  tank  was  placed. 

"While  we're  working  at  it  we  might  as  well 
provide  a  separate  outlet  and  a  shut-off  cock  to  the 
pump,"  suggested  Ralph.  "If  the  place  ever  catches 
fire  you  can  start  the  motor  and  by  connecting  a 
hose  to  the  pipe  you'll  be  able  to  throw  a  stream 
to  the  top  of  the  house  or  barn.  Moreover  you  can 
use  the  hose  for  washing  the  cars  or  wagon  and  for 
watering  Kitty's  plants  in  dry  weather." 

At  last  the  connections  were  all  made  and  the 
motor  started  and  all  three  watched  the  water  pour 
from  the  pipe  into  the  big  tank  as  the  pump  sucked 
it  steadily  from  the  well. 

"Now  you  can  draw  water  right  at  your  door," 
remarked  Ralph  as  he  shut  off  the  power  when  the 
tank  was  filled.  "You'll  find  it  a  great  convenience 
and  by  carrying  a  pipe  underground  to  the  barn 
you  can  water  your  stock  with  ease.    Let's  connect 


174      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

the  hose  and  see  how  far  we  can  throw  a  stream 
with  our  fire  engine." 

"Isn't  that  great?"  exclaimed  Tom  as  the  pump 
was  again  started  and  the  slender  stream  of  water 
hissed  from  the  hose  nozzle  to  the  roof  of  the  house. 
' '  No  danger  of  a  fire  getting  much  headway  as  long 
as  this  pump's  going." 

"Let's  hope  we  never  have  to  use  it,"  cried  Kitty. 
"I  dread  fire  and  the  motor  might  fail  or  the  well 
might  run  dry  at  just  the  wrong  time. ' ' 

"I  don't  expect  we  ever  will  need  it,"  said  his 
cousin,  "but  it  will  give  a  feeling  of  greater  security 
to  have  it  ready." 

Tom  found  the  auto  a  great  time-saver  in  going 
to  town  and  after  a  few  trips  he  had  so  greatly 
improved  in  his  driving  that  he  no  longer  feared  to 
run  anywhere  in  the  city  alone. 

The  first  time  he  saw  the  car  old  Gran 'the  r  Joe 
was  inclined  to  be  skeptical. 

"So  ye've  got  one  o'  them  there  contraptions," 
he  remarked  as  Tom  and  Kitty  proudly  exhibited 
the  car.  "I  'spect  ye  think  it's  better 'n  the  old  hoss, 
eh?  I've  druv  critters  fer  nigh  onto  sixty  year  an' 
I'd  ruther  have  old  Nell  than  all  them  onery  things 
as  was  ever  built. ' ' 

"0,  we  still  use  the  horse,"  cried  Kitty.     "For 


FARMING    IN    EARNEST  175 

farm  work  and  plowing  and  lots  of  other  things 
he's  much  better  than  the  car,  but  the  machine's  so 
much  quicker  for  going  back  and  forth  to  town.  Be- 
sides, if  we  want  it  in  a  hurry  we  don 't  have  to  stop 
and  harness  up  and  curry  it  and  get  it  ready  the 
way  we  have  to  with  a  horse." 

"Yes,  and  when  we  come  home  we  don't  have  to 
unhitch  it  and  bed  it  down  and  water  it  and  see  that 
it's  tied  so  it  can't  get  cast  and  all  that  nuisance," 
added  Tom. 

"And  most  important  of  all,  it's  not  eating  its 
head  off  when  not  in  use,"  commented  Ralph. 
"That's  the  biggest  advantage  a  car  has  over  a 
horse." 

"Won't  you  take  a  ride  with  us?"  begged  Kitty. 
' '  I  don 't  believe  you  've  ever  ridden  in  a  car  yet. ' ' 

"Wall,  I  can't  say  as  how  I  hev,"  admitted  the 
old  man.  "Mandy's  that  skeert  of  'em  thet  she'd 
have  a  conniption  fit  ef  she  saw  me  a  ridin'  in  one, 
but  she's  gone  over  to  Grant's  terday  an'  I  jest 
b'leeve  I  will  take  a  ride  jest  ter  see  what  the  things 
is  like." 

"Now  don't  ye  go  a-puttin'  on  speed,  son,"  he 
cautioned,  as  he  climbed  into  the  car.  "Time  wuz 
when  I  wuz  as  lively  as  ther  next  one.  Shucks, 
when  old  Nell  and  me  was  youngsters  we  didn't  let 


176      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

no  team  pass  us  on  the  road,  no,  sir."  The  farmer 
chuckled  at  the  memories  of  his  youth. 

"You  needn't  worry,  Gran'ther,"  Kitty  reassured 
him.  "I  won't  let  Tom  drive  fast  and  besides  he's 
not  had  practice  enough  to  drive  very  rapidly  and 
he's  very  careful." 

For  a  few  moments  the  old  man  sat  silent  as  the 
car  rolled  smoothly  along  but  gradually  a  smile 
overspread  his  wrinkled  face  and  as  he  glanced  at 
trees  and  fences  flying  past  he  exclaimed : 

"Wall,  ef  this  ain't  travelin'.  Why  here  we  be 
mos'  down  ter  Wood's  hill  a 'ready.  Better  turn 
about,  son;  ye  don't  expect  ter  git  this  wagon  over 
thet  hill  without  er  hoss,  do  ye?" 

"Why  of  course  I  do,"  laughed  Tom.  "Wood's 
hill  isn  't  anything.  We  Ve  been  over  it  half  a  dozen 
times." 

"Jumpin'  Jehoshaphat ! "  cried  Gran'ther  Joe  as 
the  machine  continued  steadily  up  the  grade.  "Ef 
this  here  contraption  ain't  a-trottin'  up  hill  an' 
there  beint  a  hoss  in  these  parts  as  kin  do  it  faster 'n 
a  walk." 

"What  do  you  think  about  the  car  now?"  asked 
Tom  as  they  topped  the  hill  and  commenced  to  coast 
down  the  further  side.  "Isn't  this  better  than  jolt- 
ing over  the  road  behind  old  Nell?" 


FARMING   IN   EARNEST  177 

"Wall,  ef  I  warn't  so  all-fired  old  ye  wouldn't 
ketch  me  a-drivin'  behind  no  hoss-critter  arter  this," 
replied  the  farmer.  "I  'spect  I'm  a  old  fool,  but  ef 
'tain't  too  much  trouble  I'd  like  reel  well  to  have 
Mandy  take  a  ride  too.  Would  ye  mind  swingin' 
'round  by  Grant's  an'  gittin'  her?" 

"0,  we'd  love  to  have  Aunt  Mandy  come,"  cried 
Kitty.    "It's  no  trouble  at  all." 

At  first  Aunt  Mandy  flatly  refused  to  enter  the 
car  but  she  gave  in  at  last  and  with  dire  forebodings 
took  her  seat  in  the  tonneau. 

She  soon  overcame  her  nervousness  and  enjoyed 
the  ride  as  much  as  her  husband  and  when,  after  a 
run  of  several  miles  about  the  country,  she  alighted 
at  her  own  door  she  was  almost  as  firm  a  convert 
to  autoing  as  was  Gran  'ther  Joe. 

By  the  time  the  pump  and  tank  had  been  installed 
and  a  temporary  shed  built  for  the  two  cars  the 
first  of  Tom's  vegetables  were  sprouting. 

"Goodness,  what's  the  matter  with  these  beans'?" 
he  exclaimed  as  in  company  with  Ralph  and  Kitty 
he  inspected  the  rows  of  tiny,  green  sprouts. 

"Cutworms,"  replied  his  cousin  as  he  examined 
the  young  beans,  many  of  which  were  lying  wilted 
and  prostrate  on  the  earth.    "They're  one  of  your 


178      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

worst  enemies  and  unless  they're  destroyed  at  once 
you'll  lose  a  large  portion  of  your  vegetables." 

As  he  spoke  he  was  digging  with  his  pocket-knife 
about  the  injured  plants  and  presently  exposed  a 
small  velvety-brown  caterpillar  curled  into  a  half- 
circle. 

"Here's  one  of  the  culprits,"  he  exclaimed.  "You 
see  they  hide  in  the  earth  during  the  day  and  come 
forth  to  devour  the  tender  plants  at  night." 

"We'll  have  some  work  if  we've  to  dig  over  this 
whole  field  to  catch  them,"  cried  Tom.  "Do  you 
suppose  there  are  many  of  the  beasts?" 

"You  won't  have  to  dig  over  the  field,"  laughed 
Ralph,  "and  no  one  can  say  whether  there  are  five 
or  five  thousand  in  the  ground.  They're  the  larvae 
or  caterpillars  of  several  species  of  small  night- 
flying  moths.  Fortunately  they  are  injurious  for  a 
comparatively  short  time  and  mainly  attack  the 
young  plants.  After  the  plants  are  large  and  strong 
they  devour  the  leaves  to  some  extent,  but  their 
worst  depredations  are  committed  early  in  the  sea- 
son before  the  plants  are  well  started." 

"How  are  we  going  to  get  rid  of  them  without 
digging  them  out?"  asked  Tom. 

"There  are  two  ways  of  destroying  the  worms," 
replied  his  cousin,  "and  we'll  employ  both  methods. 


FARMING    IN    EARNEST  179 

The  first  is  to  scatter  poisoned  dough,  made  of  bran 
■ — as  well  as  poisoned  fresh  vegetables — among  the 
seedlings,  and  the  other  is  to  provide  pitfalls  for 
the  worms.  This  is  easily  done  by  walking  along 
the  rows  and  pushing  a  hoe  or  rake-handle  into 
the  soil  every  few  feet.  The  holes  should  be  per- 
fectly vertical  and  at  least  a  foot  deep.  The  worms 
will  crawl  into  the  holes  at  the  approach  of  daylight 
and  may  be  easily  destroyed." 

For  several  days  Tom  and  Ralph  waged  their 
war  upon  the  cutworms  and  when  at  last  no  worms 
were  found  in  the  pitfalls  and  none  could  be  dis- 
covered about  the  poisoned  cabbage  leaves,  clover 
and  bran-dough,  Selwin  announced  that  all  danger 
from  the  pests  was  over. 

The  seedlings  now  were  well  above  the  ground 
and  formed  straight,  regular  rows  of  delicate  green 
across  the  dark  earth  while  the  earlier  things,  which 
had  been  transplanted  from  the  hotbeds,  were  doing 
finely. 

"We'll  have  to  begin  thinning  the  seedlings  now," 
announced  Ralph.  "It's  slow,  tiresome  work  but 
very  necessary." 

"Well,  if  you  say  it's  tiresome  I'll  bet  'tis,"  re- 
marked Tom.    "But  if  it's  necessary  let's  get  at  it, 


180      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

although  I  don't  see  the  use  in  planting  a  lot  of 
seeds  and  then  pulling  them  up." 

"There  are  several  reasons  for  doing  that,"  re- 
plied Ralph.  "For  example,  how  would  you  have 
fared  with  your  beans  if  you'd  only  planted  just 
what  you  expected  to  grow !  Why,  after  a  couple  of 
nights'  work  by  the  cutworms  it  would  have  been 
necessary  to  plant  the  beans  all  over  again  or  you'd 
have  had  long  vacant  spaces  in  your  rows.  By 
planting  more  seeds  than  you  expect  to  raise  you 
provide  for  just  such  a  contingency.  Then,  in  the 
second  place,  all  the  seeds  planted  will  not  sprout 
and  to  make  sure  you'll  have  enough,  more  are 
planted  than  could  grow  if  all  the  seeds  were  good. 
Another  reason  for  starting  a  large  number  of 
seeds  and  then  pulling  up  a  portion  of  the  plants 
is  that  in  this  way  the  strongest  and  best  plants 
may  be  retained  and  the  weaklings  destroyed. ' ' 

"I  can  understand  that,"  said  Tom.  "Where '11 
we  start  first!  I  suppose  all  we  have  to  do  is  to  pull 
out  the  poorest  plants  and  leave  the  others?" 

"That's  the  principle,"  said  Ralph,  "but  it  can't 
be  done  in  such  an  off-hand  manner  as  you  think. 
In  the  first  place  different  kinds  of  plants  require 
thinning  to  a  different  degree  and  in  most  cases  the 
thinning  should  be  done  gradually.    In  the  case  of 


FARMING    IN    EARNEST  181 

string  beans  and  lima  beans  the  plants  should  first 
be  thinned  until  there  is  a  space  of  about  three 
inches  between  them  and  then  a  week  or  so  after 
they  should  be  thinned  until  six  inches  apart.  Bush- 
limas  should  be  thinned  until  twenty  inches  apart, 
carrots,  parsnips,  etc.,  to  six  inches  apart,  and 
radishes  to  two  inches  apart,  but  in  the  case  of  these 
delicate  small  seedlings  the  thinning  must  be  done 
at  intervals  of  several  days.  In  many  instances 
these  small-seeded  plants  come  up  in  close-packed 
groups  and  if  you  endeavor  to  remove  some  of  these 
the  others  will  be  injured  or  disturbed.  In  such 
cases  remove  the  whole  bunch  and  allow  individual 
plants  to  remain  on  either  side.  Beets  and  lettuce 
must  also  be  thinned,  but  as  the  young  plants  may 
be  used  or  marketed  you  should  wait  until  the  plants 
are  fairly  well-grown  before  the  final  thinning  takes 
place. ' ' 

"How  about  corn  and  potatoes  and  melons?" 
asked  Tom. 

"Potatoes  seldom  require  thinning,"  replied  his 
cousin,  "and  corn  should  be  left  untouched  until  all 
danger  of  insects  and  birds  is  over.  It  should  then 
be  thinned  to  one  foot  between  the  stalks,  although 
if  two  or  three  stalks  are  close  together  it  is  wise 
to  let  them  remain.    The  melons,  squashes  and  cu- 


182      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

Climbers  should  also  be  left  until  fairly  well-grown 
and  should  then  be  thinned  until  the  plants  are 
three  or  four  feet  apart  each  way.  If  planted  in 
hills  two  plants  may  be  left  to  each  hill.  Of  course 
the  plants  set  out  from  your  hotbeds  do  not  require 
thinning. ' ' 

' '  Shall  I  pull  up  the  grass  and  weeds  between  the 
plants?"  asked  Tom. 

"Leave  them  for  the  present,"  Ralph  replied. 
"If  you  attempt  to  weed  the  rows  now  you'll  do 
more  harm  than  good.  A  little  later  we  can  pull  up 
some  of  the  weeds  and  destroy  others  by  running  a 
slender  knife  blade  through  them  below  the  surface 
of  the  earth.  Then  by  hoeing  and  cultivating,  the 
weeds  may  be  kept  in  check." 

"I  don't  see  what  use  horse  or  wheeled-tools  are," 
objected  Tom,  "if  we're  compelled  to  move  about  on 
hands  and  knees  over  all  this  field." 

"They'll  come  later,"  declared  Selwin.  "Until 
the  plants  are  well  started  hand  work  is  essential 
for  the  best  results,  but  after  a  short  time  all  the 
cultivation  may  be  done  by  the  various  implements. ' ' 

"It  seems  to  me  as  if  there  were  more  weeds  than 
vegetables,"  remarked  Tom  as  he  labored  with 
Ralph  in  the  field  one  day.  "  It 's  a  pity  they  aren  't 
some  use." 


f  #•'        ,  ^B 

Br  ^4?           B 

Br    ^« 

^"ifil^'KS*                   * 

IfcL 

/ 

The  dandelion  is  a  useful  weed 


FARMING    IN    EARNEST  183 

''They  are,"  his  cousin  replied.  "Many  of  the 
worst  weeds  we  have  are  quite  valuable." 

"Now  you're  trying  to  jolly  me,"  declared  Tom. 
"But  you  can't  make  me  swallow  that,  Ealph." 

"It's  the  truth,  however,"  Selwin  assured  him. 
"We  call  things  weeds  just  because  they're  a  nui- 
sance and  grow  without  care  or  attention.  A  plant 
that's  a  weed  in  one  place  may  be  a  highly-prized 
flower  or  vegetable  in  another  district.  I  remember 
that  when  I  was  in  the  West  Indies  the  first  time, 
I  was  highly  amused  to  see  dandelions  and  mullein 
cultivated  in  gardens  as  flowers,  while  magnificent 
belladonna-lilies,  portulaca,  begonias,  and  salvias 
grew  wild  along  the  roadsides  and  were  classed  by 
the  natives  as  weeds." 

"I  never  thought  of  that,"  admitted  Tom,  "but 
still  I  don't  see  how  any  of  our  weeds  can  be  valu- 
able or  useful.  If  they  are  why  don't  we  use  them? 
It  seems  to  me  that  would  be  the  right  thing  on  a 
scientifically-conducted  farm. ' ' 

"It's  a  branch  of  farm  work  that  will  add  quite 
a  little  to  one's  income,"  replied  Ralph.  "Many  of 
these  common  weeds  are  used  in  medicine  and  are 
worth  saving.  Among  them  are  dandelion,  burdock, 
yellow  dock,  pokeweed,  foxglove,  couch  grass,  mul- 
lein, lobelia,  tansy,  boneset,  yarrow,  jimson  weed 


184  UNCLE    ABNER'S    LEGACY 

and  many  others.  If  you're  interested  I'll  show  yon 
figures  of  the  various  things  and  tell  you  about  pre- 
paring and  marketing  them  to-night,  but  you'll 
hardly  have  time  to  do  anything  with  weeds,  there 
are  so  many  more  important  matters  to  attend  to." 
"I'd  like  to  hear  about  them  just  the  same," 
declared  Tom.  "I'm  anxious  to  learn  all  I  can 
of  everything  connected  with  farming. ' ' 


CHAPTER  X 
THE    REWARDS    OF   LABOR? 

"0  Ralph!  Come  over  here,"  shouted  Tom  as 
the  two  were  working  in  the  field  one  morning. 

" What's  the  matter  with  these  melons?"  he  asked 
as  his  cousin  approached.  "They're  all  wilted  and 
look  as  if  they  were  dead." 

Ralph  looked  at  the  drooping  vines  and  examined 
a  few  of  the  stalks. 

"Borers,"  he  replied.  "See  here."  Splitting  a 
stem  with  his  knife  he  showed  Tom  the  interior 
filled  with  little  granules  and  bits  of  sawdust  among 
which  a  slender  worm  squirmed  about. 

"Well,  how  did  he  get  there?"  asked  Tom.  "I 
thought  with  all  our  spraying  we  wouldn't  have 
any  trouble  with  insect  pests." 

"You've  been  wonderfully  free  from  them,"  re- 
plied Ralph,  "and  all  the  spraying  in  the  world  is 
of  little  avail  against  these  rascals. ' ' 

"What  can  we  do  to  stop  them  then?"  exclaimed 
Tom.    "Half  the  vines  are  affected  already." 

185 


186      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

"There's  not  much,  we  can  do  except  to  hunt  out 
the  stems  that  contain  borers,  cut  them  off  and  kill 
the  larvae  and  spray  the  vines  thoroughly  to  destroy 
any  moths  or  eggs." 

For  a  long  time  the  two  worked  away  in  the  melon 
patch  and  when  at  last  Selwin  announced  that  there 
was  nothing  more  to  be  done  the  place  looked  for- 
lorn indeed.  Where,  a  few  days  before,  the  broad 
leaves  had  covered  the  earth  with  a  mantle  of  green 
there  were  now  but  a  few  almost  leafless  vines  strag- 
gling across  the  field  while  many  of  the  tiny  young 
melons  were  scattered,  withered  and  worthless, 
among  the  mutilated  plants. 

"Well,  that's  one  crop  that's  going  to  be  a  fail- 
ure," said  Tom  as  he  gazed  ruefully  at  the  melons. 
"And  I'd  counted  a  lot  on  my  melon  patch." 

"Yes,"  agreed  Ralph,  "I  guess  you'll  have  little 
profit  from  the  melons;  but  you'll  have  enough  for 
your  own  use  if  no  more  borers  attack  them." 

"I  suppose  it  can't  be  helped,"  remarked  Tom. 
"But  if  I'd  known  of  the  danger  I'd  have  taken 
more  care.  I  thought  melons  and  such  things  could 
be  left  pretty  much  to  themselves." 

"You  can't  leave  anything  to  itself,"  declared 
Ralph.    "But  you're  lucky  to  get  off  so  easily.    You 


THE    REWARDS    OF    LABOR?  187 

can't  attend  to  everything  and  I  confess  I'd  over- 
looked the  melons  myself." 

"Well,  it's  taught  me  a  lesson  anyway,"  said  Tom 
as  he  picked  up  his  hoe  and  started  towards  the 
house.  ■  "I'll  remember  to  watch  everything  in 
future.  But  it 's  a  shame  to  have  all  that  land  going 
to  waste." 

"You  can  plant  some  late  crop  there,"  said  his 
cousin.  "Land's  never  wasted  on  a  properly  con- 
ducted farm  and  what  you  can  raise  on  this  should 
partly  make  up  for  the  loss  of  the  melons." 

They  found  Kitty  deep  in  the  mysteries  of  dairy 
work  for  they  had  now  owned  a  cow  for  some  time 
and  under  the  tutelage  of  Martha,  the  hired  girl, 
Kitty  was  mastering  the  details  of  separating  cream, 
churning  butter  and  making  cheese. 

"Oh,  we've  the  cutest  little  chickens,"  she  cried  as 
Tom  and  Ealph  entered.  ' '  Both  the  hens  that  have 
been  sitting  hatched  out  their  broods  to-day  and 
we've  twenty-one  little  white  leghorns.  The  old 
hens  are  just  as  proud  of  their  babies  as  if  they 
were  their  own.  Do  you  know,  those  tiny,  fluffy 
things  knew  their  foster-mothers  just  as  soon  as 
they  were  hatched.  I  watched  them  for  ever  so 
long  and  they  never  made  a  mistake,  but  ran  straight 
to  the  hen  that  owned  them  whenever  she  called. 


188      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

I  can't  understand  how  they  can  recognize  the  voices 
of  the  hens;  can  you,  Ralph?" 

"It's  a  mystery  which  has  never  been  solved  yet, 
and  I  don't  attempt  to  explain  it,"  laughed  Ralph. 
"It's  simply  instinct  I  expect.  The  man  who  first 
coined  that  word  ought  to  have  a  niche  in  the  Hall 
of  Fame  though,  he  conferred  an  everlasting  benefit 
on  the  scientific  world.  Anything  we  can't  solve  we 
can  pass  by  as  'instinct'  and  let  it  go  at  that." 

"You  see,  Kit,  I  wasn't  so  far  off  on  my  chicken 
calculations  after  all,"  remarked  Tom  laughingly. 
"If  you  keep  on  at  this  rate  you'll  have  those  thirty 
million  hens  overrunning  the  place  in  spite  of  your- 
self." 

"I'll  have  so  many  that  you'll  have  to  busy  your- 
self making  brooders  and  coops,"  replied  his  sister. 
"So  you  needn't  joke  about  it,  Tom." 

"Well,  the  more  the  merrier,  sis.  We  can't  have 
too  many  eggs,  and  broilers  sell  well." 

"You'll  need  an  incubator  presently,"  remarked 
Ralph.  "Hens  are  the  best  of  incubators,  but  they 
can't  handle  as  many  eggs  as  the  artificial  affairs 
and  you'll  find  it  economy  to  buy  a  good  incubator 
the  next  time  you're  in  town.  You  can't  always 
count  on  hens  sitting  when  you  want  them  to  and 
the  secret  of  successful  poultry  is  to  have  broods 


They  now  owned  a  cow 


'The  cutest  little  chickens" 


THE    REWARDS    OF   LABOR?  189 

hatching  out  every  month  during  spring,  summer 
and  autumn. ' ' 

"Why  can't  we  raise  ducks  and  geese  and  tur- 
keys?" asked  Kitty. 

"You  can,"  replied  Ralph.  "You  can  hatch  any 
of  those  eggs  under  hens  or  in  an  incubator.  Ducks 
and  geese  are  all  very  well,  but  I'd  not  advise  trying 
turkeys  on  a  large  scale;  they're  lots  of  trouble  but 
there's  no  reason  why  you  shouldn't  raise  enough 
for  home  use  and  a  few  to  sell.  Then  there  are 
pigeons — squabs  are  profitable — and  guinea  fowl, 
which  bring  good  prices,  and  pheasants  which  are 
very  beautiful  and  give  enormous  profits  under  cer- 
tain conditions.  All  these  may  come  later  but  for  this 
season  you'd  better  confine  yourself  to  ordinary 
poultry,  a  few  ducks,  and  perhaps  one  brood  of  tur- 
keys— although  half  a  dozen  guineas  would  be  no 
trouble.  Gran'ther  Joe  has  some  guineas  and  I've 
no  doubt  he'd  be  glad  to  furnish  the  eggs." 

"Are  guineas  of  any  use?"  asked  Tom.  "I 
thought  they  were  just  curiosities. ' ' 

" Guinea-f owl  are  excellent  table  birds,"  replied 
Ralph.  "In  Europe  they  are  highly  prized  and 
were  raised  by  the  ancient  Greeks  and  Romans.  The 
first  Europeans  who  settled  in  America  brought 
guineas  with  them  and  in  many  of  the  West  Indies 


190      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

they  are  now  found  wild  and  are  hunted  as  game, 
and  in  England  they  are  also  kept  as  game  birds  on 
many  estates.  In  the  United  States  little  attention 
has  been  given  to  guinea  fowl  until  quite  recently 
and  even  now  few  people  raise  them  in  large  num- 
bers for  the  market.  Here  and  there  you'll  often  see 
a  few,  as  at  Gran 'the r  Joe's  place,  but  they  are 
usually  kept  more  as  ornaments  or  curiosities  than 
anything  else,  although  their  cries  serve  as  warnings 
of  marauders  and  protect  the  other  poultry  to  some 
extent.  Their  eggs  are  also  good  eating  and  are 
more  delicate  and  are  just  as  nourishing  as  hens' 
eggs.  There  is  already  a  good  demand  for  guinea 
fowl  in  the  large  markets  and  the  young  birds  bring 
excellent  prices  as  broilers,  especially  for  hotel  and 
restaurant  use." 

"Are  they  hard  to  raise  1"  asked  Kitty. 

"On  the  contrary  they  are  very  hardy  and  won- 
derfully free  from  disease,"  said  Ralph.  "More- 
over they  are  never  fully  domesticated  and  love  to 
range  far  and  wide  and  will  pick  up  their  own  living 
and  require  little  feeding,  and  as  they  are  particu- 
larly fond  of  insects  and  weed  seeds  they  are  very 
useful  on  a  farm." 

"Speaking  of  weed  seeds  reminds  me  that  you 
were  going  to  tell  us  about  valuable  weeds,"  re- 


THE    REWARDS    OF   LABOR?  191 

marked  Tom.  ' '  Do  you  know,  Kit,  Ralph  says  there 
are  lots  of  weeds  that  are  useful  and  can  be  made 
profitable.' ' 

"If  Ralph  says  so  Fll  believe  it,"  Kitty  stated. 
"But  I  always  thought  weeds  were  to  be  destroyed 
wherever  possible." 

"I  was  telling  Tom  that  many  weeds  have  a 
medicinal  value, ' '  said  her  cousin.  ' '  And  I  promised 
to  show  him  pictures  of  the  useful  kinds  and  to  tell 
him  how  to  prepare  and  market  them.  He'll  not 
have  time  to  devote  to  the  matter  with  all  his  other 
work  but  he  thought  he'd  like  to  know  about  it 
anyway. ' ' 

"I'd  be  interested  too,"  declared  Kitty.  "Why 
couldn't  I  make  something  from  the  weeds  if  Tom's 
too  busy?" 

"I  think  you've  all  you  can  attend  to  also," 
laughed  Ralph.  "I  never  saw  two  such  ambitious 
people  in  my  life.  You  expect  to  take  up  every 
branch  of  farm  work  in  a  single  season  and  I  must 
admit  you're  succeeding,  too." 

' '  Oh,  Martha  does  all  the  housework  now, ' '  cried 
Kitty,  "and  it's  really  little  work,  looking  after 
the  poultry  and  foxes,  and  since  you  connected  the 
churn  with  the  motor  it's  no  trouble  at  all  to  make 


192      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

our  butter.  I  'm  quite  sure  I  can  find  time  to  prepare 
some  weeds  if  it's  not  too  difficult." 

"It's  simple  enough,"  replied  Selwin.  " Useful 
weeds  may  be  divided  into  several  classes ;  those  in 
which  the  roots  are  used,  those  with  valuable  leaves, 
those  which  have  useful  flowers  or  seeds  and  those 
in  which  all  the  various  parts  are  valuable.  The 
most  important  matters  are  to  dry  the  plants  care- 
fully and  properly  and  to  keep  them  clean  and  abso- 
lutely free  from  other  plants  and  all  foreign  sub- 
stances. Medicinal  plants  that  are  clean,  well- 
assorted  and  free  from  impurities  will  command 
good  prices  whereas  the  same  things  improperly 
prepared  or  impure  will  be  worthless.  A  bright, 
natural  color  is  demanded  and  this  can  only  be 
obtained  by  drying  the  plants  in  the  shade  and  pro- 
tecting them  from  dew,  rain  and  dampness  and  by 
covering  them  at  night.  Boots  must  be  well  washed 
before  preparing,  but  leaves,  stems,  flowers  or  seeds 
should  never  be  washed. 

"Many  medicinal  plants  are  worthless  if  gathered 
out  of  season  and  you  must  collect  each  variety 
at  the  right  time  or  they'll  be  refused  by  the  dealers. 
Moreover  roots  will  shrink  a  great  deal  more  if 
gathered  out  of  season  than  when  dug  at  the  proper 
time. 


THE    REWARDS    OF    LABOR?  193 

"Another  very  important  point  is  to  be  absolutely 
sure  that  the  plants  are  the  right  ones.  Many  plants 
so  closely  resemble  one  another  that  a  mistake  is 
easily  made  and  while  the  two  may  look  much  alike 
yet  one  may  have  medicinal  qualities  and  the  other 
may  not.  Besides  many  of  these  plants,  both  those 
with  medicinal  value  and  those  without,  are  poison- 
ous and  if  wrongly  classified  might  cause  death  or 
injury  to  the  user.  Whenever  the  least  doubt  exists 
the  plant  should  be  sent  to  some  expert,  such  as  a 
drug  dealer  or  the  State  experiment  station  for 
identification. 

"Roots  must  not  be  dug  during  the  growing  sea- 
son as  at  that  time  they  lack  medicinal  qualities  and 
shrink  a  great  deal  in  drying,  whereas  if  gathered 
at  the  time  of  full  maturity  they  will  shrink  but  little 
and  possess  their  greatest  value." 

1 ' 1  can  understand  that, ' '  interrupted  Tom.  "  It 's 
just  like  digging  potatoes  I  suppose." 

"Yes,"  replied  Ralph.  "Roots  of  annual  plants 
should  be  dug  just  before  the  plants  bloom  and 
those  of  the  biennials  and  perennials  should  be 
gathered  after  the  tops  have  died  down  and  dried 
up.  Annual  roots  are  dug  the  autumn  of  the  first 
year  and  biennials  and  perennials  in  the  fall  of 
the  second  or  third  year.    After  the  roots  are  dug, 


194  UNCLE    ABNER'S    LEGACY 

all  the  adhering  earth  is  shaken  from  them  and  all 
litter,  stones,  dirt  and  parts  of  other  plants  are 
removed.  They  are  then  washed  and  carefully  dried 
by  exposing  them  to  light  and  air,  but  not  to  sun- 
light, on  racks  or  shelves  or  on  clean  floors  of  lofts. 
They  should  be  spread  thinly  and  turned  daily  until 
thoroughly  cured.  This  may  require  from  three  to 
six  weeks  and  when  completely  cured  the  roots  will 
snap  readily  if  bent.  Many  roots  must  also  be  sliced 
or  split  and  as  a  rule  the  very  large  roots  are  split 
or  sliced  to  hasten  the  curing  process. 

"Leaves  and  herbs  should  be  gathered  when  the 
plants  are  in  full  flower  and  as  it's  important  to 
preserve  the  bright,  green  color,  careful  shade  dry- 
ing is  necessary.  The  entire  plant  may  be  cut  and 
the  leaves  stripped  from  it  and  the  stems  and 
branches  picked  out  and  rejected,  the  coarse,  large 
stalks  being  thrown  out  and  only  the  tender  stems, 
leaves,  and  flower-tops  saved.  All  odds  and  ends, 
such  as  bits  of  grass,  other  plants,  dead  leaves  and 
discolored  or  ragged  portions  should  also  be  picked 
out  and  thrown  aside. 

' '  The  leaves  and  flowers  should  then  be  spread  in 
layers  on  clean  racks  or  shelves  or  even  on  a  loft 
floor  in  the  shade  where  there's  plenty  of  air  and 
should  be  frequently  turned  until  dry. 


THE    REWARDS    OF    LABOR?  195 

"Flowers  must  be  gathered  when  they  first  open 
and  not  after  they  begin  to  fade  and  they're  treated 
in  the  same  manner  as  the  leaves.  Seeds  are  col- 
lected as  they  are  ripening,  bnt  before  the  pods 
burst  open  and  must  be  carefully  picked  over  and 
winnowed  to  remove  all  bits  of  stems,  pods  and 
similar  things." 

"I  think  'twould  be  just  fun  to  prepare  such 
things,"  declared  Kitty.  "I'm  certainly  going  to 
try  it  anyway.    But  where  can  they  be  sold?" 

"Samples  of  the  plants  and  herbs  should  be  sent 
to  the  nearest  wholesale  druggist  or  general  com- 
mission-merchant with  a  request  for  quotations  on 
the  amount  you  can  supply,"  replied  Ralph.  "If  no 
merchant  is  near  who  can  handle  the  weeds  the  near- 
est druggist  can  usually  furnish  you  with  the  ad- 
dress of  some  dealer  or  wholesale  house  who  can 
quote  prices.  The  amount  to  be  sent  as  samples 
depends  upon  the  article.  Usually  four  or  five 
ounces,  or  a  good  handful  is  enough,  and  the  pack- 
age should  be  plainly  marked  with  the  name  of  the 
contents  and  your  name  and  address.  Where  sev- 
eral firms  quote  prices  select  the  nearest  if  the  offers 
do  not  vary  greatly,  for  freight  and  postage  must 
be  deducted  from  the  profits." 

"Can  you  give  us  any  idea  of  what  weeds  bring?" 


196      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

asked  Tom.  "I  suppose  they're  pretty  cheap  and 
it's  not  worth  while  to  bother  with  them,  unless 
you've  a  lot  to  sell." 

"Prices  vary  from  year  to  year  and  they  also  de- 
pend upon  the  quality  of  the  products,"  answered 
his  cousin.  "But  they're  much  higher  than  you'd 
think.  Common  burdock  has  a  root,  as  well  as 
seeds,  which  are  marketable.  The  price  varies  from 
three  to  eight  cents  per  pound  for  the  root  and  from 
five  to  ten  cents  for  the  seeds.  Dandelion  has  a 
medicinal  root  and  the  prepared  root,  which  is 
known  to  the  trade  as  Taraxacum,  brings  from  four 
to  six  cents  a  pound.  Couch-grass,  that  persistent, 
troublesome  weed  known  as  witch-grass,  quake- 
grass  and  dog-grass  is  a  valuable  medicinal  plant 
and  the  roots  sell  at  from  three  to  seven  cents  a 
pound." 

"I'd  never  have  believed  it  possible,"  cried  Tom. 
"Why  I've  been  digging  that  miserable  stuff  from 
the  vegetable  garden  for  days  and  just  to  think  that 
it's  really  worth  saving.  I  suppose  you'll  tell  me 
next  that  pokeweed  and  mullein  and  jimson  weed 
are  valuable." 

"They're  among  the  most  valuable,"  replied 
Ealph,  laughing.  "Pokeweed  is  cultivated  as  a 
garden-plant  in  Europe  and  both  the  berries  and 


Mullein 


Lobelia 


Jimson  Weed  Poison  Hemlock 


Boneset 


Tansy 


Horehound  Yarrow 


Couch    Grass 


Pokeweed 
Useful  Weeds 


Burdock 


THE    REWARDS    OF    LABOR?  197 

roots  are  used  in  medicine.  The  root,  known  tech- 
nically as  Phytolacca,  brings  from  two  to  five  cents 
a  pound  and  the  dried  berries  are  worth  about  five 
cents  a  pound.  They  are  both  used  in  the  treatment 
of  skin  and  blood  diseases,  for  allaying  pain  and 
inflammation,  and  are  poisonous.  The  despised  mul- 
lein has  leaves  and  flowers  which  are  well  known 
drugs  but  in  order  to  sell  the  flowers  they  must  be 
yellow  and  to  retain  this  color  they  should  be  kept 
in  tight  jars  or  bottles  after  drying  as  otherwise 
they  turn  black.  Mullein  is  used  in  curing  catarrh 
and  colds  and  for  nervous  irritation.  The  price  of 
the  leaves  varies  from  two  to  five  cents  a  pound  and 
the  flowers  sell  for  twenty-five  cents  to  one  dollar 
a  pound.7 ' 

"And  to  think  that  old  sheep  pasture's  just  cov- 
ered with  mullein,"  exclaimed  Tom.  "What's  the 
use  of  growing  vegetables  if  you  can  make  money 
from  such  things'?" 

"You'd  find  it  takes  a  great  many  leaves  and 
flowers  to  make  a  pound,"  replied  his  cousin. 
"Roots  are  really  more  profitable,  even  if  the  price 
seems  lower,  but  you'd  have  hard  work  making  your 
farm  pay  if  you  depended  upon  weeds.  As  long  as 
weeds  must  be  destroyed  it's  just  as  well  to  take  a 
little  care  and  make  something  from  them,  but  it 


198      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

doesn't  pay  to  make  it  a  business  by  itself.  But  to 
continue.  Jimson  weed  is  used  in  curing  asthma  and 
both  seeds  and  leaves  are  saleable.  To  the  trade  it's 
known  as  Stramonium  and  is  worth  from  three  to 
seven  or  eight  cents  a  pound.  Another  valuable 
weed  is  wild  mustard,  for  the  seed  sells  at  from  three 
to  six  cents  a  pound,  but  as  it's  raised  in  great  quan- 
tities in  some  sections  of  the  country  it's  not  worth 
gathering  in  most  places.  The  common  yarrow, 
which  grows  so  abundantly  along  the  roadsides,  is 
saleable,  the  entire  plants  being  gathered  and  dried, 
in  which  form  they  sell  at  from  two  to  five  cents  a 
pound  while  the  somewhat  similar  tansy,  known  to 
the  druggists  as  Tanacetum,  sells  for  three  to  six 
cents.  Other  weeds  which  are  used  in  medicine 
are  foxglove,  known  as  Digitalis  and  worth  six 
to  eight  cents;  lobelia,  worth  three  to  eight  cents 
for  leaves  and  fifteen  to  thirty  cents  for  seeds; 
boneset  known  as  Eupatorium  and  worth  from  two 
to  eight  cents  and  hoarhound  which  has  leaves  and 
tops  that  sell  for  three  to  ten  cents  a  pound." 

"I  don't  see  why  every  one  doesn't  collect  and  sell 
these  things  if  they're  marketable,"  remarked  Tom. 
"There's  plenty  of  the  weeds  on  every  farm." 

"Nevertheless  the  demand  exceeds  the  supply," 
Selwin  assured  him.     "And  vast  quantities  of  all 


THE    REWARDS    OF    LABOR?  199 

these  medicinal  plants  are  imported  each  year. 
You'd  be  surprised  to  learn  that  some  twenty- 
five  tons  of  burdock,  sixty  tons  of  dandelion,  one 
hundred  and  twenty-five  tons  of  couch-grass,  thirty 
tons  of  foxglove,  fifteen  tons  of  tansy,  over  sixty 
tons  of  hoarhound,  over  seventy-five  tons  of  jimson 
weed  and  ten  tons  of  poison  hemlock  are  annually 
imported  to  the  United  States  and  yet  all  of  these 
things  are  to  be  had  for  the  trouble  of  gathering 
and  drying  and  our  own  farmers  could  readily  sup- 
ply the  entire  market  and  reap  the  profits  which  now 
go  to  Europeans.' ' 

"I  should  think  'twould  pay  to  hire  someone  to 
gather  and  prepare  the  weeds  on  our  farms,"  said 
Tom.  "If  those  European  farmers  can  afford  to 
do  the  work  and  ship  things  here,  American  farmers 
surely  should  be  able  to  make  a  profit  when  there's 
no  high  transportation  charges  to  pay." 

"It's  a  neglected  industry,"  replied  Ralph,  "and 
there  are  many  others  of  a  similar  nature.  The 
struggle  for  existence  has  never  been  keen  enough 
in  America  to  compel  the  farmers  to  really  make 
the  most  of  their  land.  European  peasants  come 
over  here  and  become  well-to-do  and  prosperous  on 
farms  abandoned  as  worthless  by  their  American 
owners." 


200      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

1 'Well,  no  European  peasant  will  ever  get  Ridge- 
lea  Farm  as  long  as  I'm  alive,"  declared  Tom.  "I'm 
going  to  make  'book  larnin'  win." 

The  early  vegetables  were  now  coming  thick  and 
fast  and  Tom  and  Ralph  had  their  hands  full,  gath- 
ering the  crops  in  the  afternoon  and  evening,  wash- 
ing and  spreading  them  upon  the  grass  and  bunch- 
ing them  for  market  the  next  morning.  They  arose 
at  dawn  every  day  and  long  before  the  city  dwellers 
had  opened  their  eyes,  Tom  was  speeding  over  the 
country  road  towards  town  with  his  auto  loaded 
with  the  products  of  his  farm. 

There  was  no  difficulty  in  disposing  of  his  vege- 
tables. Restaurants,  hotels  and  private  houses  had 
learned  the  excellence  of  Ridgelea  Farm  products  and 
the  higher-class  dealers  clamored  for  a  supply.  All 
the  eggs  Kitty  could  furnish  were  engaged  by  regu- 
lar customers  and  the  few  pounds  of  butter  which 
could  be  spared  from  their  own  needs  were  eagerly 
purchased  by  Mr.  Grayson.  Hucksters  and  vegeta- 
ble peddlers  called  daily  at  the  farm  to  purchase 
produce  and  Ralph  found  little  time  to  do  anything 
but  attend  to  them  and  direct  John,  the  hired  man. 

"What  on  earth  would  we  have  done  without  a 
car?"  exclaimed  Tom  on  one  occasion.     "Imagine 


The  early  vegetables  were  now  ready 


Tom  sped  over  the  roads  towards  town 


)\ 


..r 


THE    REWARDS    OF    LABOR?  201 

trying  to  do  all  this  with  the  old  horse  and  wagon. 
I've  made  a  trip  to  town,  disposed  of  my  load  and 
am  back  here  in  time  for  lunch.  I'm  glad  it's  Sat- 
urday though  and  I  won't  have  to  work  to-morrow, 
but  I'll  have  to  go  to  the  mill  for  feed  this  after- 
noon. ' ' 

The  little  grist  mill  with  its  huge  willows  and 
churning  mill  race  was  a  picturesque  spot  and  Tom 
always  enjoyed  talking  with  the  flour-covered  miller 
and  watching  the  great  mill  stones  as  they  noisily 
grour  i  the  corn  and  grain. 

As  he  approached  the  mill  he  noticed  the  miller's 
cart  standing  outside  the  door  with  empty  shafts 
but  loaded  high  with  meal. 

Thr  miller  greeted  him  cordially  and  as  he  helped 
Tom  place  his  bags  of  feed  in  the  car,  remarked: 
"T~  **e  lucky  to  have  a  buzz- wagon,  Mr.  Manville. 
See  my  cart  a-standin'  there.  Old  horse  took  sick 
this  ornin'  an'  left  me  in  a  hole.  Can't  borrow 
no  horse;  everyone's  so  plumb  busy,  an'  I  promised 
that  load  o'  meal  to-day.  Don't  know  how  in  blazes 
I'm  a-goin'  to  deliver  it.  Reckon  I'll  have  to  get  a 
machine  myself  if  the  old  horse  plays  such  tricks  on 
me." 

"I  wondered  why  your  cart  was  standing  there," 


202      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

replied  Tom.  "It's  too  bad  your  horse  is  sick.  Let 
me  deliver  the  meal  for  you.    Where's  it  going1?" 

' '  That 's  mighty  kind  of  yon, ' '  declared  the  miller. 
"But  you  can't  truck  all  that  load  an'  I  wouldn't 
think  o'  lettin'  you.  It's  goin'  over  to  the  junc- 
tion. ' ' 

"It  is  a  good-sized  load,"  admitted  Tom.  "I'll 
tell  you  what,"  he  exclaimed,  "we  can  fasten  your 
cart  behind  the  car  and  tow  it  over  to  the  junction. 
You  can  sit  in  the  cart,  so  as  to  use  the  brake  on 
the  down  grades." 

"Don't  believe  you  can  do  it,"  said  the  miller 
dubiously.  "But  I  would  like  to  get  that  load  over 
to-day. ' ' 

"We'll  try  it  and  see  at  any  rate,"  Tom  insisted. 
"Get  some  rope  and  I'll  back  up  in  front  of  the 
cart  and  I'll  bet  we'll  have  that  load  at  the  junction 
quicker  than  you  ever  made  it  with  the  horse." 

Much  to  the  miller's  surprise  the  car  had  no 
difficulty  in  hauling  the  loaded  cart  and  as  he  sped 
up  hill  and  down  behind  Tom's  machine  he  be- 
came more  and  more  convinced  that  the  automobile 
was  fully  as  much  a  necessity  as  a  luxury  in  mod- 
ern farm  life. 

"I  tell  you,11  he  declared  when  Tom  again  drew 
up  at  the  mill  and  helped  unfasten  the  empty  cart, 


The  little  grist  mill  was  a  picturesque  spot 


THE    REWARDS    OF    LABOR?  203 

" we've  got  to  take  off  our  hats  to  you  city-folks 
after  all.  Come  next  year  an'  I'll  bet  a  heap  o' 
farmers  in  these  parts '11  be  runnin'  about  in  orter- 
mobiles.  I'm  a  goin'  to  have  one  right  off.  You 
don't  ketch  me  a  trustin'  to  a  horse  no  more." 

"I  should  think  a  good,  light  motor-truck  would 
be  a  big  help  to  you,"  said  Tom.  "But  it  would 
look  funny  to  see  some  of  the  farmers  driving  cars. 
Imagine  old  Gran'ther  Joe  and  Aunt  Mandy  scorch- 
ing over  the  roads." 

"Well,  stranger  things  have  happened,"  re- 
marked the  miller,  laughing.  "But  old  Joe  would 
cut  quite  a  figger  in  a  ortermobile,  I'll  be 
bound. ' ' 

"I  thought  you  must  have  had  a  breakdown,"  ex- 
claimed Kitty  when  Tom  returned.  "You  said  you 
were  just  going  to  the  mill  and  you've  been  away 
all  the  afternoon." 

"It  was  the  other  fellow  who  broke  down," 
laughed  Tom,  ' '  and  I  had  to  play  the  Good  Samari- 
tan. ' '  He  then  explained  the  cause  of  his  delay  and 
repeated  the  miller's  prophecy  and  all  laughed  at 
the  idea  of  Gran'ther  Joe  driving  a  car. 

All  through  the  early  summer  Tom,  Ralph,  and 
John  toiled  ceaselessly  from  dawn  till  dark,  for  as 
soon  as  one  crop  was  out  of  the  ground  another  was 


204-  UNCLE    ABNER'S    LEGACY 

planted  and  Tom  found  his  sketch-plan  of  the  utmost 
value  in  this  work.  Then  there  was  the  spraying  to 
be  attended  to,  the  cultivation  to  be  done,  vegetables 
to  be  marketed  and  a  thousand-and-one  other  details 
to  be  looked  after. 

Kitty,  too,  found  little  spare  time  on  her  hands. 
Even  with  Martha's  help  about  the  house  there  was 
much  to  be  done,  for  the  chickens  had  increased  in 
numbers  until  several  hours  daily  were  required  to 
feed  and  care  for  them;  there  was  the  dairy  work 
to  be  attended  to  and  the  books  to  be  kept.  The 
flower  gardens  needed  constant  attention  and  in  the 
attic  of  the  house  bundles  of  dried  plants  and  boxes 
of  seeds  and  flowers  testified  to  Kitty's  industry 
and  her  determination  to  make  even  the  despised 
weeds  add  their  quota  to  the  profits  of  the  farm. 

"It's  been  ever  so  interesting  to  gather  them," 
said  Kitty  when  Ralph  questioned  her  in  regard  to 
the  weeds.  "And  I've  learned  a  great  deal  about 
plants  but  I've  decided  it's  hardly  worth  the  trouble 
to  prepare  such  things  unless  I  give  all  my  time  to 
it.  All  the  roots  and  leaves  are  so  light  after 
they're  dried  that  it  takes  ever  so  many  of  them  to 
make  a  pound." 

"I  wouldn't  bother  with  them,"  said  her  cousin. 
"I  feared  you  were  attempting  too  much.    You'll 


THE    REWARDS    OF    LABOR?  205 

lose  all  the  good  effects  of  farm  life  if  you  over- 
work. ' ' 

' '  That 's  right, ' '  chimed  in  Tom.  ' '  We  're  not  the 
only  ones  who've  been  working  hard.  You've  cer- 
tainly accomplished  wonders,  Kit.  I  don't  see  how 
you  two  girls  have  done  so  much.  Let  the  old  weeds 
go.  By  the  way,  how  are  the  foxes  getting  on?  I've 
actually  been  so  busy  I  haven't  even  looked  at  them 
for  a  long  time." 

1  i  They  're  doing  finely, ' '  replied  Kitty.  ' l  They  've 
lost  all  that  soft,  fuzzy  hair  and  their  tails  are  get- 
ting bushy.  They're  almost  as  big  as  the  old  ones 
now. ' ' 

"How  soon  can  we  tell  if  any  of  them  are  black?" 
Tom  asked  Ralph.  "It's  funny  I  haven't  thought 
more  about  them. ' ' 

"If  they've  lost  their  first  coat  of  hair  we  should 
be  able  to  tell  now,"  replied  Selwin.  "We'll  have 
a  look  at  them." 

It  was  scarcely  surprising  that  Tom  and  Ralph 
had  given  little  attention  to  the  foxes.  Early  in  the 
season  they  had  been  transferred  to  a  specially-con- 
structed run  surrounded  by  shrubbery  at  some  dis- 
tance from  the  house,  for  the  constant  presence  of 
strangers  about  the  place  kept  the  poor  creatures 


206      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

nervous  and  in  addition  the  chicken  house  was 
needed  for  poultry. 

When  Tom  and  Ralph  reached  the  run  they  found 
the  animals  quite  wild  and  shy  at  their  approach, 
although  they  showed  no  fear  of  Kitty  and  crowded 
to  the  wire-netting  when  they  saw  her. 

"That  shows  the  importance  of  having  one  per- 
son look  after  the  foxes,"  remarked  Ralph.  "They 
soon  learn  to  recognize  their  attendant  and  show 
no  fear,  but  a  stranger  will  often  drive  them  almost 
frantic. ' ' 

"I  don't  see  any  black  ones  among  them,"  said 
Tom.  "I  expected  at  least  one  would  be  like  their 
father." 

"There's  no  pure  black  one,"  admitted  Selwin, 
who  had  been  carefully  watching  the  lively  crea- 
tures. "But  there  are  two  good  grays  and  at  least 
one  fine  cross-gray.  You  may  remember  I  told  you 
that  the  second  generation  would  be  more  likely  to 
inherit  the  characters  of  their  ancestors  and  I've 
no  doubt  that  one  of  the  parents  of  your  black  was  a 
cross-gray." 

' '  Then  next  season  we  should  have  some  real  black 
foxes,"  exclaimed  Tom. 

"You're  likely  to,"  replied  Ralph,  "but  even  if 
you  raise  cross-grays  you've  no  reason  to  complain. 


Gathering  the  crops 


THE    REWARDS    OF   LABOR?  207 

They're  worth  from  twenty-five  to  fifty  dollars  for 
good  ones." 

" Isn't  that  run  too  small  for  all  those  animals?" 
asked  Tom. 

"It  will  be  very  soon,"  replied  his  cousin,  "but 
'twill  answer  until  you're  through  with  your  vege- 
tables and  haying  and  then  you'll  have  plenty  of 
time  to  attend  to  it." 

"Where  do  all  these  bees  come  from*?"  asked 
Kitty  as  she  stopped  to  gather  flowers  on  the  way 
toward  the  house.  "They're  a  perfect  nuisance 
and  we  haven't  any  hives." 

"They  may  come  from  a  long  distance,"  said 
Ralph.    "Do  any  of  the  neighbors  keep  bees?" 

"I  don't  think  so,"  said  Kitty.  "I  know  Gran'- 
ther  Joe  doesn't  because  Aunt  Mandy  wanted  some 
honey  one  day  and  asked  Tom  to  get  it  in  town." 

"Then  they're  very  likely  wild  bees  and  may 
have  a  store  of  honey  in  the  woods,"  Selwin  de- 
clared. "It's  not  hard  to  find  out.  Let's  follow 
the  bees,  Tom,  and  see  if  we  can  locate  a  bee  tree." 

"How  can  you  follow  a  bee?"  enquired  Tom. 
"And  what  in  the  world's  a  bee  tree?  Do  you 
mean  to  say  bees  live  in  trees?" 

' '  Wild  bees  do, ' '  replied  Ralph.  ' '  And  frequently 
they  accumulate  hundreds  of  pounds  of  honey.    In 


208      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

many  places  hunting  for  wild  bee  honey  is  a  very 
important  and  lucrative  industry.  As  for  following 
the  bees,  that's  easy.  Bees  fly  in  a  straight,  or 
nearly  straight,  course  to  and  from  their  homes  and 
by  watching  the  insects  and  following  them  the  tree 
may  be  located.  Sometimes  a  few  bees  are  cap- 
tured and  carried  in  the  direction  indicated  and 
are  released  at  intervals  and  this  makes  the  trailing 
easier. ' ' 

"I  suppose  that's  why  people  speak  of  a  'bee- 
line,  '  ' '  said  Kitty. 

"Exactly,"  replied  Selwin.  "Now  let's  see  if  we 
can  succeed  as  honey-hunters,  Tom." 

"After  watching  the  bees  for  some  time  Ralph 
announced  that  they  were  undoubtedly  wild  bees  and 
had  a  hive  in  the  woods  and  having  captured  sev- 
eral insects  which  had  gathered  tbeir  loads  of  pollen 
the  amateur  bee-trailers  made  their  way  to  the  edge 
of  the  woods.  Selwin  had  already  noted  the  direc- 
tion taken  by  the  bees  and  led  Tom  to  a  point  far 
to  one  side  of  the  little  bridge  across  the  brook. 
Here  they  stopped  and  Ralph  gazed  steadily  up- 
ward for  several  minutes.  "I  guess  we'd  better 
liberate  one  of  our  prisoners,"  he  said  at  last. 
"The  sun's  so  bright  it  dazzles  my  eyes." 

As  the  captive  bee  was  released  from  the  little 


THE    REWARDS    OF    LABOR?  209 

pasteboard  box  in  which  she  was  confined  Ralph 
and  Tom  watched  her  intently. 

"She  seems  to  know  where  she's  going,"  re- 
marked Tom  as  the  insect  buzzed  off  into  the  woods. 
"But  I  don't  see  how  you're  going  to  follow,  here 
among  the  trees. ' ' 

"Wait  and  see,"  laughed  Ralph.  "That's  why 
I  brought  the  bees  along. ' ' 

The  direction  which  the  bee  had  taken  was  fol- 
lowed for  some  distance,  Ralph  carefully  scanning 
the  trees  as  they  walked  along.  Finally  he  halted 
and  remarked :    ' '  Time  to  let  another  one  go  now. ' ' 

This  time  the  bee  started  off  to  the  left  and  the 
two  followed  after. 

"I  think  I  understand  the  game  now,"  announced 
Tom.  "You  walk  a  ways  and  then  let  a  bee  out 
and  follow  her.  Then  you  walk  a  while  in  that  di- 
rection and  let  another  go  and  when  you  find  that 
one  goes  back  on  the  trail  you  know  you've  passed 
the  tree.    It's  a  regular  'hare-and-hounds'  game." 

"That's  the  idea,"  replied  his  cousin.  "Now 
we'll  release  our  third  bee." 

"Off  to  the  right,"  cried  Tom  and  followed  by 
Selwin  he  hurried  off  in  the  direction  taken  by  the 
bee. 

"Don't  go  too  far,"  cautioned  Ralph.    "The  way 


210      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

to  do  is  to  work  up  gradually.  We  '11  let  another  bee 
out  here." 

''Eight  again,"  exclaimed  Tom.  "We  must 
have  gone  past  the  tree.  That  one  flew  almost  back 
the  way  we  came. ' ' 

"The  trail's  getting  warm,"  agreed  his  cousin. 
"We'll  have  to  be  cautious  now." 

Presently  the  last  bee  was  released  and  the  two 
watched  her  carefully. 

'  ■  She  went  to  the  left, ' '  announced  Selwin.  ' '  And 
almost  directly  back.  The  tree  must  surely  be  be- 
tween here  and  the  spot  where  we  released  the  last 
bee  and  it's  not  far  to  one  side  either.  Look  at 
every  tree  carefully,  Tom." 

"Hurrah,  I've  found  it!"  shouted  Tom  a  few 
minutes  later.  "Goodness;  what  a  crowd  of  bees 
there  are  up  there.  You  can  hear  them  buzzing  like 
a  sawmill;  that's  what  attracted  my  attention  to 
it." 

"That's  the  tree  all  right,"  said  Ralph,  as  he 
looked  up  at  the  half -dead  basswood  tree.  "And 
judging  by  the  number  of  bees  there's  a  lot  of  honey 
in  it.    How  do  you  like  bee-trailing,  Tom?" 

"It's  a  fine  game,"  replied  Tom.  "But  what  I 
want  to  know  is  how  we're  to  get  that  honey.  I'd 
hate  to  climb  that  tree  and  try  to  rob  those  bees." 


THE    REWARDS    OF    LABOR?  211 

''We'll  smoke  out  the  bees  and  get  the  honey 
easily  enough,"  Selwin  assured  him.  "But  to  make 
sure  of  not  being  stung  we'll  wear  gloves  on  our 
hands  and  nets  over  our  faces.  Now  we've  located 
the  tree  we'll  go  home  and  can  come  back  later 
with  axes  and  all  the  appliances  and  with  John  to 
help." 

After  several  hours'  work  the  angry  insects  were 
subdued,  an  entrance  to  their  home  was  chopped 
in  the  tree  and  John  reached  in  and  drew  forth 
a  dripping  piece  of  comb.  For  a  moment  he  exam- 
ined it  and  then  cast  it  violently  into  the  woods. 

"What's  the  matter?"  cried  Tom.  "Why  did 
you  throw  the  comb  away?" 

"Durned  stuff's  plumb  full  o'  moths,"  replied 
John  in  a  disgusted  tone  as  he  commenced  to  de- 
scend the  ladder. 

"What  in  the  world  does  he  mean?"  asked  Tom, 
turning  to  his  cousin.  ' '  How  can  there  be  moths  in 
honey?" 

"Bee  moths,"  replied  Ralph.  "Small  moths 
which  infest  hives  and  the  larvae  of  which  destroy 
the  wax  and  ruin  the  honey.  They're  sometimes 
called  'wax  moths'  and  are  much  like  the  common 
clothes  moths  which  ruin  furs  and  garments.  I 
guess  we've  had  our  trouble  for  nothing." 


212      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

"Well,  we  had  a  lot  of  fun  finding  the  tree  and 
trailing  the  bees  at  all  events,"  declared  Tom. 

"I  know  the  secret  of  making  a  farm  pay  now," 
announced  Tom  as  he  threw  himself  into  the  ham- 
mock beneath  the  trees  one  evening.  "You  can 
talk  all  you  want  about  up-to-date  methods,  scien- 
tific theories  and  such  things,  Ealph.  They're  all 
right,  I'll  admit,  but  the  main  thing  is  work,  with 
a  big  capital  W." 

"You're  right  there,  Tom,"  agreed  his  cousin. 
"All  the  modern  methods  and  ideas  in  the  world 
won't  spell  success  without  work.  Are  you  getting 
tired  of  farming?" 

"Not  a  bit  of  it,"  declared  Tom.  "I'm  dead 
tired  every  night  but  I'm  chipper  as  ever  the  next 
day.  It  might  be  different  if  things  weren't  going 
well,  but  everything's  booming  and  when  I  do  feel 
a  little  too  tired  I've  only  to  think  of  the  poor  fel- 
lows up  in  Grayson's  office.  I'd  rather  tackle  all 
the  farm  work  single-handed  than  go  back  to  a 
desk." 

"The  worst's  over  now,"  said  Ealph.  "Every- 
thing's planted,  and  there's  little  cultivating  to 
be  done.  There's  not  much  left  now  except 
to  gather  the  late  crops,  do  the  haying  and  get  ready 


THE    REWARDS    OF   LABOR?  213 

for  another  year.    From  now  on  you'll  be  getting 
back  the  fruits  of  your  labor." 

"Or  as  you  might  say,  reaping  our  profits,"  sug- 
gested Kitty. 


CHAPTER   XI 
CONQUERING    THE    DROUGHT? 

It  was  good  haying  weather  and  Tom  found  mow- 
ing the  grass,  raking  it  into  piles  and  carting  the 
great,  fragrant  loads  of  hay  to  the  barn  a  very 
pleasant  change  from  the  garden  work. 

"We'll  have  more  than  the  old  barn  will  hold," 
he  remarked  to  Ralph.  "It's  pretty  near  full  now 
and  there's  still  a  lot  in  the  fields." 

"What  won't  go  in  the  barn  can  be  made  into 
stacks,"  replied  his  cousin.  "Hay  never  comes 
amiss  and  you'll  be  surprised  to  find  how  much 
your  horse  and  cow  will  require  during  the  winter. ' ' 

Tom  was  greatly  interested  in  the  construction 
of  the  haystacks,  for  while  he'd  seen  them  many 
times  about  the  countryside  yet  he  had  no  idea  how 
they  were  made  or  what  they  were  for. 

' '  I  should  think  the  hay  would  get  soaked  through 
and  through  out  in  the  open,"  he  said  to  Ralph. 
"If  it  can  be  piled  up  this  way  what's  the  use  of  a 
barn?" 

214 


CONQUERING    THE    DROUGHT?  215 

"The  hay  keeps  much  better  in  a  building,  of 
course,"  replied  Selwin,  "but  in  stacks  there  is  very 
little  loss.  Hay  sheds  water  like  a  roof  and  in  many 
countries  the  roofs  of  houses  and  sheds  are  thatched 
with  it.  Moreover,  the  weight  of  the  hay  compresses 
the  pile  until  it  is  very  compact  and  the  hardest 
rain  or  snow  storms  will  not  penetrate  it.  In  fact, 
a  modern  rifle  or  cannon-ball  will  enter  a  well-built 
haystack  but  a  short  distance.  They  make  the  best 
of  breastworks  in  warfare.  Of  course  hay  kept  in 
stacks,  or  ricks,  is  inferior  to  that  kept  in  barns 
and  if  the  stacks  are  carelessly  made  the  hay  may 
become  mildewed  or  mouldy.  A  great  deal  depends 
upon  using  thoroughly  well-cured  hay,  stacking  it 
carefully  and  arranging  the  top  layers  to  shed 
water.  Many  farmers  spread  canvas  or  cloth  over 
the  tops  of  the  stacks,  but  this  is  not  necessary." 

1 '  How  long  will  the  hay  in  a  stack  remain  good  f ' ' 
asked  Tom. 

"Several  years  sometimes,"  replied  Ralph.  "But 
it's  only  intended  for  one  season.  You  can  use  the 
hay  from  the  stacks  first  and  depend  upon  that  in 
the  barn  for  winter  use  or  you  can  keep  the  stacks 
for  spring.  Even  if  the  hay  in  the  stacks  is  not  as 
good  as  that  in  the  barn,  it  will  do  nicely  for  bed- 


216      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

ding.  Moreover,  it  may  be  fed  to  the  cow  when 
she's  out-of-doors  in  the  spring." 

"They  make  the  farm  look  good  and  prosperous 
anyway,"  remarked  Tom,  when  the  big  stacks  were 
at  last  completed. 

"Now  to  cut  and  gather  the  corn  stalks,"  an- 
nounced Ealph  when  the  haying  was  finished. 

"I  didn't  suppose  they  were  any  use,"  exclaimed 
Tom.  "Why,  everything  seems  to  be  worth  sav- 
ing." 

"Dried  corn  stalks  are  excellent  for  the  cow," 
replied  Selwin.  "There's  little  waste  on  a  prop- 
erly conducted  farm." 

' '  This  is  where  the  big  elm  comes  in  handy, ' '  cried 
Tom  as  he  threw  himself  down  in  the  shade  one 
scorching  day.     "My,  but  isn't  it  hot?" 

"Yes,"  agreed  Ralph.  "It's  certainly  hot  and 
there's  no  sign  of  rain.  We've  been  blessed  with 
good  growing  weather  so  far  but  it  hasn't  rained 
for  over  two  weeks  and  things  are  getting  pretty 
well  dried  up.  Unless  we  have  a  good  shower  to 
break  the  drought,  your  late  crops  will  suffer  and 
we'll  have  to  water  them  artificially." 

"How  can  we  do  that?"  asked  Tom.  "We  can't 
run  a  pipe  down  here  and  all  the  water  in  the  well 
wouldn't  water  these  fields." 


CONQUERING    THE    DROUGHT?  217 

"We  don't  need  to  run  a  pipe  and  we  won't  use 
the  well,"  replied  S  el  win.  "If  we  have  to  irrigate 
we'll  nse  the  water  from  the  brook.  It's  nearer 
than  the  well  and  there's  plenty  of  water  in  it  for 
our  purposes." 

"How  can  we  get  the  brook  water  up  here?  It 
won 't  run  up  hill, ' '  exclaimed  Tom. 

'It  won't  run  up  hill  of  its  own  accord,  I  ad- 
mit, ' '  said  Ralph.  ' '  But  we  can  make  it  run  up  by 
using  a  pump." 

"Hadn't  we  better  get  a  pump  and  put  it  down 
there  and  have  it  all  ready?"  asked  Tom.  "But  it 
seems  to  me  as  if  it  would  be  mighty  hard  work 
pumping  water  from  the  brook  all  day." 

Ralph  laughed.  "Oh,  you  needn't  worry  about 
that,"  he  said.  "We'll  use  the  pump  up  at  the 
house  and  run  it  by  power." 

"You  mean  you'll  move  the  motor  and  all  down 
to  the  brook.    That's  quite  a  job." 

"No,  we  wton't  have  to  do  that,"  replied  his 
cousin.  "We'll  move  the  pump  alone  and  run  it  by 
auto. ' ' 

"How  in  the  world  can  you  run  the  pump  by 
auto?"  asked  Tom. 

"It's  perfectly  simple,"  said  Selwin.  "We'll 
disconnect  the  pump  and  mount  it  on  the  sled  and 


218  UNCLE    ABNER'S    LEGACY 

place  it  close  to  the  brook.  Then  we'll  jack  up  the 
car,  take  off  one  of  the  rear  tires,  run  a  belt  from 
the  rim  to  the  pulley  on  the  pump,  start  the  motor 
and  throw  in  the  third  speed." 

''That's  great,"  cried  Tom.  "I  never  thought 
of  using  the  car  to  do  such  work." 

"If  you  didn't  have  a  stationary  motor  you'd  find 
a  car  mighty  useful  for  running  machinery,"  de- 
clared Ealph.  "Buzz-saws,  lathes,  grindstones, 
pumps,  churns  and  in  fact  any  farm  machinery  can 
be  operated  in  this  way  and  many  up-to-date  farm- 
ers use  their  machines  for  a  variety  of  such  pur- 
poses. Some  of  them  even  have  a  skid,  onto  which 
they  run  their  car,  and  by  providing  a  roller  or 
friction  wheel  to  bear  against  the  rear  wheels  of 
the  car  there  is  no  need  to  remove  a  tire." 

' '  How  will  we  get  the  water  from  the  pump  to  the 
fields  I ' '  asked  Tom.  * '  We  '11  need  a  lot  of  new  pipes 
to  reach  up  here." 

"We  can  run  a  few  lengths  of  pipe  up  to  the  little 
knoll,"  replied  Ralph.  "And  from  there  run 
trenches  through  the  fields.  I  think  there'll  be 
enough  grade  to  make  it  flow  over  all  the  lower 
field.  While  we're  about  it  we  might  as  well  survey 
the  garden  and  find  out.  If  there's  not  enough 
slope  to  carry  the  water  we  can  fill  a  cart  with  bar- 


CONQUERING    THE    DROUGHT?  219 

rels,  run  the  water  into  these  and  cart  them  about 
the  fields  and  empty  them  where  we  think  best." 

" Isn't  that  an  awful  lot  of  work?"  asked  Tom. 
"And,  by  the  way,  how  are  you  going  to  survey  the 
fields.    We  haven't  any  instruments." 

"The  work  isn't  anything  compared  to  the  value 
of  the  crops  you'll  save,"  declared  Ralph.  "And  as 
for  surveying,  we've  all  the  appliances  we  require. 
Come  up  to  the  house  and  we  '11  get  them  right  away. 
We  might  as  well  be  prepared." 

Equipped  with  a  bucket  and  a  shingle,  Ralph  led 
the  way  to  the  brook  where  he  filled  the  bucket  with 
water  and  then  walked  to  the  top  of  the  little  knoll 
he'd  mentioned. 

Here  he  stopped  and  splitting  two  pieces  of  equal 
length  from  the  shingle,  set  them  in  holes  in  the  re- 
maining piece  and  placed  this  on  the  surface  of  the 
water  in  the  pail.  He  then  measured  off  spaces 
six  inches  apart  on  a  pole  he  had  cut  beside  the 
brook  and  handed  this  and  a  foot-rule  to  Tom. 

"Now  I'll  show  you  how  to  survey  with  primitive 
instruments,"  he  announced.  "Walk  straight  to- 
ward the  Elm  for  fifty  paces  and  then  hold  this  pole 
upright,  with  the  lower  end  resting  on  the  earth. 
Place  the  rule  across  the  pole  at  right  angles  and 
move  it  up  or  down  as  I  direct  by  motions  of  my 


220      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

hand.  When  I  hold  my  hand  steady,  note  the  exact 
spot  where  the  upper  edge  of  the  rule  crosses  the 
pole  and  jot  the  number  of  feet  and  inches  on  a  bit 
of  paper.  When  I  drop  my  hand  walk  another  fifty 
paces  toward  the  tree  and  repeat  the  operation  and 
continue  to  do  this  until  I  stand  up." 

"It's  all  a  mystery  to  me,"  admitted  Tom,  "but 
I'll  do  as  you  say." 

He  commenced  striding  off  across  the  field.  When 
the  first  fifty  paces  were  covered  he  followed  Ealph's 
directions  and  jotted  down  13  inches.  At  the  next 
stop  16  inches  were  registered ;  at  the  next  22  and  at 
the  fourth  point  14  inches.  When  he  reached  a  spot 
250  paces  from  the  knoll  12  inches  were  recorded 
and  his  cousin  signaled  him  to  return.  Ealph  took 
the  paper  on  which  the  various  marks  were  written, 
drew  a  note  book  from  his  pocket  and  made  a  rough 
sketch. 

"That's  the  sectional  view  of  your  field,"  he  de- 
clared. "The  grade  runs  down  for  150  yards  and 
then  there's  a  slight  rise.  We  can  irrigate  the 
whole  of  this  lower  field  by  piping  direct  from  the 
pump  to  the  knoll,  but  we'll  have  to  cart  the  water 
beyond  there.  If  the  drought  keeps  on  we'll  get 
the  pump  started  and  be  sure  of  the  crops  in  this 
field  at  any  rate." 


CONQUERING    THE    DROUGHT? 


221 


"Now  please  explain  how  you  know  all  this  by 
using  a  pail  of  water  and  a  pole?"  begged  Tom. 

"The  pail  with  the  water  forms  a  perfect  level," 
explained  Selwin,  "and  by  sighting  across  the  two 
sticks  of  equal  height  and  motioning  you  to  move 
the  rule  up  or  down  the  pole  I  determined  the  point 
which  was  exactly  the  same  height  above  the  ground 


where  you  stood  as  the  sticks  floating  on  the  water 
in  the  pail.  Then  by  noting  this  I  knew  just 
how  much  slope  there  was  between  the  knoll  and 
the  spot  recorded.  In  other  words,  the  grade 
was  15  inches  in  fifty  paces,  or  approximately 
5  inches  in  150  feet,  for  the  sticks  were  10  inches 
above  the  earth.  The  next  record  gave  a  fall  of 
16  inches  from  the  knoll,  or  one  inch  in  the  second 
150  feet.  The  third  proved  there  was  a  still  fur- 
ther slope  of  six  inches,  but  the  next  two  readings 
proved  that  the  field  sloped  up  grade  eight  inches 
in  150  feet  and  continued  to  rise  for  two  inches  more. 
Thus  the  last  stand  you  made  was  twelve  inches  be- 
low the  level  of  the  water  in  the  pail  or  two  inches 


222      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

below  the  knoll,  and  if  there  was  no  intervening 
hollow  the  water  would  flow  over  the  fields  for  750 
feet  or  more.  As  it  is,  we'd  be  obliged  to  flood  this 
first  field  to  a  depth  of  ten  inches  in  order  to  make 
it  reach  the  crest  of  that  little  rise  which  is  imper- 
ceptible from  here." 

"  That's  mighty  interesting,"  remarked  Tom. 
"But  I've  an  idea.  If  the  lowest  point  is  22  inches 
below  here  why  can't  we  make  a  tank  or  a  hole 
there  and  fill  it  with  water  and  then  pump  it  from 
there  over  the  next  hill?" 

"  So  we  could,  if  we  had  time, ' '  replied  his  cousin, 
"but  it  would  require  a  very  large  tank  or  cistern 
and  by  the  time  you  had  it  ready  it  would  be  too 
late  to  save  the  vegetables." 

"Well,  I  mean  to  have  one  all  ready  for  next 
year  anyhow,"  declared  Tom. 

"It  would  be  far  better  to  drive  a  well  in  the  field 
and  put  up  a  windmill,"  said  Ealph.  "It  would  cost 
more  perhaps,  but  you'd  always  be  certain  of  an 
available  water  supply  for  your  crops." 

The  drought  continued  unabated  and  Ealph  and 
Tom,  following  their  plan,  erected  the  pump  beside 
the  brook,  laid  the  pipe  to  the  knoll  and  attached 
the  automobile.  As  the  water  poured  from  the  pipe 
and  spread  upon  the  field,  ditches  were  rapidly  dug 


CONQUERING    THE    DROUGHT?  223 

between  the  rows  of  plants,  ridges  of  earth  were 
piled  up  to  guide  the  water  here  and  there  and  be- 
fore nightfall  the  entire  field  had  received  a  good 
drenching  and  the  drooping,  thirsty  plants  already 
showed  signs  of  improvement. 

" Gracious!  Don't  those  things  look  better,' ' 
cried  Tom  as  they  reached  the  field  the  next  day. 
"They're  just  as  fresh  and  green  as  ever  and  yes- 
terday morning  they  looked  half -dead.  Let's  hurry 
up  and  water  the  other  things." 

It  was  hard,  slow  work,  watering  the  other  field, 
for  only  four  barrels  of  water  could  be  carried  at 
a  time  on  the  wagon  and  care  had  to  be  used  in 
driving  across  the  field.  Tom  handled  the  horse, 
John  was  kept  busy  digging  ditches  to  distribute  the 
water  and  Ralph  directed  and  helped  the  other  two 
in  emptying  the  barrels. 

"I  wonder  if  we  couldn't  borrow  Gran'ther  Joe's 
horse  and  wagon  and  make  the  work  easier,"  said 
Tom  at  the  close  of  the  first  day's  work.  "I  don't 
believe  he's  using  them  and  we  could  do  twice  as 
much.    I'm  going  over  to  ask  him." 

Tom  found  the  old  farmer  haying  in  the  meadow 
which  had  not  as  yet  felt  the  effects  of  the  dry 
weather. 

"  '  Course  ye  kin  borrer  'em,"  Gran'ther  Joe  re- 


224      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

plied  to  Tom's  request.  "I  ain't  no  use  fer  'em 
terday  an'  this  here  hay '11  wait  'till  yere  done  with 
'em.    What  ye  want  em  fer,  cartin'  hay?" 

"No,  carting  water,"  replied  Tom.  "We're  irri- 
gating our  vegetables  and  can't  do  it  fast  enough 
with  one  cart  and  horse." 

"What  in  tarnation's  * irrigatin '? "  demanded 
the  old  man.  "What  ye  cartin'  water  fer?  Well 
give  out,  eh?" 

' '  No,  we  're  carting  water  to  put  on  the  vegetable 
fields.  That's  what  I  mean  by  irrigating;  watering 
the  vegetables  so  they  won't  dry  up." 

"Well,  I  swan!"  exclaimed  the  farmer.  "Of  all 
ther  fool  notions  ever  I  heard  on.  The  idee  o' 
watering  crops.  I  'spect  that's  some  o'  yer  book 
larnin'  schemes,  eh?" 

"Come  over  to  the  farm  and  you  won't  think  it  so 
foolish,"  said  Tom.  "My  vegetables  are  fresh  and 
green  but  all  the  others  about  here  are  drying  up. 
If  this  drought  keeps  on  nobody '11  have  any  late 
crops  at  all  unless  they  irrigate." 

Gran 'ther  Joe  squinted  up  at  the  sky  and  off  to 
the  west  and  remarked: 

"Beckon  it's  due  ter  rain  purty  quick.  Looks 
kinder  hazy  an'  my  rheumatiz  is  a  startin'  to  ache. 
Hain't  never  watered  my  crops  an'  I  mos'  gin 'rally 


CONQUERING    THE    DROUGHT?  225 

pull  through.  Mebbe  I'll  come  over  ter  ther  farm 
bimeby  and  hev  a  look  at  what  yer  a  doin',  jest  fer 
cur'osity." 

The  additional  horse  and  wagon  made  the  work 
far  easier  and  quicker  but  it  was  still  very  slow  as 
compared  with  the  direct  pumping  by  which  the 
lower  field  had  been  flooded. 

"I'm  glad  that  big  cornfield  and  the  early  pota- 
toes are  finished  and  don't  have  to  be  watered,"  re- 
marked Tom  as  the  three  stopped  for  their  noon- 
day rest.  " Think  what  a  job  we'd  have,  to  cart 
water  clear  up  there." 

"Even  so,  it  would  be  worth  the  trouble,"  said 
Ralph.  ' '  You  can  note  the  improvement  already  and 
by  to-morrow  night  we'll  be  finished.  If  no  rain 
comes  we'll  have  to  repeat  the  irrigation  work  in  a 
few  days." 

"I  won't  get  caught  this  way  another  year,"  de- 
clared Tom.  "I  thought  the  hardest  work  was  all 
over,  but  if  anyone  wants  to  know  what  real  work 
is  he  can  just  try  watering  five  or  six  acres  of  dried- 
up  land  on  a  roasting  hot  day." 

"You've  saved  your  late  crops  and  I'll  wager 
you're  the  only  farmer  about  here  who  has,"  re- 
plied Selwin.  "Don't  you  think  the  results  are 
worth  the  labor?" 


226  UNCLE    ABNER'S    LEGACY 

"Surely,"  admitted  Tom,  "but  why  on  earth 
don't  the  others  have  wells  or  pumps  or  something 
to  water  their  fields.  I'm  a  new  hand  at  it  and  I 
didn't  plan  for  a  drought,  but  if  I'd  been  farming  as 
long  as  these  other  fellows  I'd  have  known  enough 
to  be  ready  for  a  dry  spell.  There'll  be  a  well  and 
a  pump  in  the  middle  of  my  fields  next  year  if  it 
takes  all  my  profits  to  put  it  there." 

"Farmers  are  a  conservative  lot,"  remarked  his 
cousin,  "because  fathers  and  grandfathers  didn't 
irrigate  they  don't  think  it  necessary  and  yet  year 
after  year  they  lose  many  times  what  it  would  cost 
to  drive  wells  and  erect  pumps  for  use  in  time  of 
drought.  In  many  places  irrigation  is  absolutely 
essential  and  even  the  most  arid  and  barren  deserts 
will  produce  enormous  crops  if  properly  irrigated. 
In  the  west  it's  a  matter  of  course,  but  in  the  east 
farmers  trust  to  nature  and  have  become  fatalists 
in  a  way.  The  old  saying  that  'the  Lord  helps  those 
who  help  themselves'  is  an  excellent  proverb  for 
farmers  to  remember." 

Day  after  day  the  blazing  sun  shone  from  a  cloud- 
less sky.  The  earth  was  dry,  hot  and  parched,  the 
fields  of  grass  grew  yellow  and  brown ;  the  wayside 
weeds  drooped,  dust-covered  and  forlorn,  while 
growing  crops  withered  in  the  fields  and  the  half- 


CONQUERING    THE    DROUGHT?  227 

grown  fruit  strewed  the  ground  of  the  orchards. 
Far  and  wide  the  countryside  looked  burnt,  seared 
and  dead,  but  in  the  midst  of  the  desolate  landscape 
the  fields  and  orchard  of  Ridgelea  Farm  showed  like 
an  oasis  of  green.  From  morning  until  night  the 
water  had  been  pumped  from  the  little  brook  and 
spread  among  the  vegetables  until  the  stream  itself 
had  dwindled  to  a  mere  rill.  Then  the  pump  had 
been  replaced  in  the  woodshed  and  the  precious 
water  from  the  well  had  been  poured  in  hollows 
made  about  the  fruit  trees  until  all  that  could  be 
safely  spared  had  been  distributed  and  Balph  an- 
nounced that  nothing  more  could  be  done.  Tom  had 
made  numerous  early  trips  to  town  to  deliver  vege- 
tables and  with  the  scarcity  of  such  things,  due  to 
the  drought,  he  had  found  no  difficulty  in  disposing 
of  even  the  cheapest  garden  products  at  prices  as 
high  as  he  had  obtained  for  his  early  vegetables 
in  the  spring. 

"How  yer  gittin'  on  with  yer  'irritatin',  er  what- 
ever ye  call  it?"  inquired  Gran'ther  Joe  when  Tom 
returned  his  horse  and  wagon.  "Reckon  ye  found 
it  kinder  stumped  ye,  ter  treat  them  fields  like  er 
posy-bed,  didn't  ye?" 

"It  was  hard  work,  I'll  admit,"  Tom  replied, 


228      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

"but  it's  all  done  and  things  are  looking  fine.  Come 
up  and  see  them,  Gran'ther." 

"Dunno  but  I  will,"  answered  the  farmer.  "Fust 
time  I  ever  heard  o'  sech  carryins-on,  but  I've  seed 
a  heap  o'  new  idees  sence  you  folks  come  up  here 
an',  as  I  says  to  Mandy,  'tain't  no  use  a-talkin', 
they's  somethin'  to  larn  every  day. 

"Wall,  I  wouldn't  er  b'leeved  it  ef  I  hadn't  a-seed 
it  with  my  own  eyes,"  declared  Gran'ther  Joe  as 
he  reached  the  farm  and  gazed  at  the  green-leaved 
orchard  trees  and  healthy,  growing  crops.  "Don't 
look  es  ef  no  drought  had  struck  here  'tall. ' ' 

Tom  and  Ealph  took  the  old  farmer  about,  ex- 
plained the  pump  and  showed  how  they  had  distrib- 
uted the  water  and  when  finally  Tom  declared  that 
before  another  year  came  around  he  was  to  have  a 
driven  well  and  windmill  in  the  center  of  his  fields, 
Gran'ther  Joe  was  quite  convinced  that  irrigation 
was  worth  while. 

"Wall,  I  dunno  as  I  got  ernough  growin'  crops 
on  my  place  ter  bother  'bout  this  ere  'irritatin',"  he 
said.  "Most  of  my  farm's  hay  land  an'  purty  low 
an'  damp,  but  ef  I  wuz  a-raisin'  garden  truck  ye  bet 
I'd  hev  things  fixed  up  ter  beat  a  drought.  Yes,  sir, 
they  ain't  no  two  ways  erbout  it;  book-larnin'  wins 
every  time." 


CHAPTER   XII 
UNCLE   ABNER   ADMITS   HE'S   WRONG 

"I  wondee  what's  become  of  Aunt  Mandy  and 
Gran'ther  Joe,"  said  Kitty  as  she  and  Tom  were 
going  to  town  one  morning  in  early  fall.  "I  haven't 
seen  them  since  Aunt  Mandy  came  over  nearly  two 
weeks  ago,"  she  added,  "and  their  house  seems 
shut  up.    Do  you  suppose  they've  gone  away?" 

"I  dont  know,"  replied  Tom.  "I  saw  Gran'ther 
Joe  four  or  five  days  ago.  I  met  him  on  the  road 
and  stopped  to  talk  with  him  a  few  minutes.  He 
didn't  say  anything  about  going  on  a  visit;  just  en- 
quired after  you  and  Ralph  and  asked  a  lot  of  ques- 
tions about  the  car  the  way  he  always  does.  Said 
Akers  over  at  the  mill  told  him  about  how  I  towed 
his  cart  to  the  junction. ' ' 

"There's  a  machine  coming  behind  us,"  said 
Kitty  presently.  "You'd  better  turn  out,  Tom,  and 
let  it  pass." 

"I  hate  to  be  forever  letting  other  cars  pass  us," 
declared   Tom,   touching   the   accelerator    slightly. 

229 


230      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

" People  will  begin  to  think  this  old  boat  can't  make 
over  15  or  20  miles.  I'm  a  good  enough  driver  to 
pass  some  of  the  other  fellows  now  and  I  don't  see 
why  you're  always  so  nervous." 

' '  I  know  you  can  drive  splendidly, ' '  agreed  Kitty. 
"But  I'm  always  afraid  something  might  give  out  if 
we  went  too  fast.  Tom,  you're  scorching!  Please 
don't  try  to  race." 

"No,  I'm  not,"  laughed  Tom.  "We're  not  going 
over  thirty  miles  and  I'm  not  fool  enough  to  try 
to  race  that  big  yellow  roadster.  It's  got  twice  our 
speed.     I  wonder  who  owns  it!" 

"I  don't  know,"  answered  Kitty.  "I  never  saw 
it  before." 

"Well,  she's  a  peach  of  a  car,"  exclaimed  Tom, 
as  a  moment  later  the  racy,  yellow  machine  dashed 
past  in  a  cloud  of  dust  and  with  its  occupants  un- 
recognizable in  dusters  and  goggles. 

"But  that  fellow's  not  been  driving  long,"  he 
added; "look  at  the  way  he  swerves  back  and  forth." 

Presently  the  car  ahead  slowed  up  and  stopped  at 
one  side  of  the  road. 

"I  wonder  what's  the  matter  with  him,"  re- 
marked Tom.  "Guess  I'll  ask  him  if  he  wants  any 
help. ' ' 

As  they  came  to  a  standstill  beside  the  other  ma- 


UNCLE    ABNER    ADMITS    HE'S    WRONG    231 

chine  Tom  and  his  sister  stared  at  its  occupants  in 
speechless  amazement,  for  seated  in  the  low,  yel- 
low roadster  were  Gran  'ther  Joe  and  Aunt  Mandy ! 

"Kinder  s 'prised  ye,  didn't  we?"  chuckled  the 
old  man.  "Thought  I'd  hit  her  up  a  bit  an'  see  ef  I 
could  pass  ye  an'  I  did,  by  Gum!  Not  bad  fer  a  ol' 
farmer,  eh?  Thought  I'd  let  ye  see  city  folks  ain't 
the  only  sports." 

"When  did  you  get  that  car?"  cried  Kitty,  find- 
ing her  voice  at  last. 

"And  where  did  you  learn  to  drive?"  exclaimed 
Tom. 

Gran 'ther  Joe  broke  into  a  hearty  laugh,  in  which 
Aunt  Mandy  joined. 

"Bought  it  'bout  two  weeks  back,"  replied  the 
farmer.  "Been  a-takin'  lessons  up  ter  ther  orter- 
mubbile  school  in  town  mos'  every  day  sence.  Ter- 
day's  the  fust  time  I've  druv  out  with  Mandy  er- 
lone.  Been  a-practicin'  with  a  '  chuff er'  up  ter  now. 
Didn't  want  ter  make  no  consarn  fool  o'  myself  or 
smash  ther  enjine.  Reckon  I  kin  handle  the  con- 
traption 0.  K.  now,  ef  she  don't  balk  or  take  ther 
bit  in  her  teeth. ' ' 

"You  certainly  have  surprised  us  all  right,"  Kitty 
assured  him.  "We  never  dreamed  of  you  getting  a 
car. ' ' 


232      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

"And  such,  a  dandy,  too, ' '  exclaimed  Tom.  ' ' Why 
you  put  ours  completely  in  the  shade." 

"Wall,  I  kinder  hankered  arter  one  sence  I  rid 
in  yourn,"  remarked  the  old  man.  "An'  I  says  to 
Mandy,  'Mother,  they's  no  use  er  talkin',  we  ain't 
goin'  fer  ter  die  afore  our  time  an'  we  might  ez 
well  hev  a  good  time  while  we're  on  'arth.  I'm 
a-goin'  to  git  us  a  ortermubbile. '  At  fust  she  wuz 
dead  sot  agin  it — called  me  a  ol'  id  jit  an'  all  that; 
but  I  reckon  she's  enjiyin'  it  ez  well  ez  I  be  now. 
Wall,  I  argied  with  her  and  I  sez,  I  reckon  ef  them 
city  folks  kin  come  out  an'  lick  us  ol'  farmers 
a-raisin'  garden  truck  they  ain't  no  reason  why  I 
can't  larn  to  drive  a  ottermubbile.  But  I  swan!  I 
dunno  as  I  'd  a  gone  agin  her  ef  it  warn 't  fer  ol '  Bill 
Akers  over  ter  ther  mill.  Bill  sez  as  how  he  was 
a-goin'  ter  git  er  ottermubbile  and  then  he  sez: 
1  'Spect  you'll  be  a-runnin'  roun'  in  one,  too,  Joe. 
Nice  figger  you'll  cut  in  er  buzz-wagon!'  Gosh  all 
Hemlock,  when  that  there  ol'  beetle-bug  sez  that  I 
riz  right  up  an '  I  sez :  '  Bill  Akers,  I  bet  ye  I  '11  be 
a-drivin'  'round  in  one  o'  them  contraptions  'fore 
ye  be  an'  when  I  do,'  sez  I,  'ye  won't  never  give  me 
your  dust,  Bill  Akers ;  not  ef  ye  hitch  yer  consarned 
ol'  mill-wheel  on  ter  yer  enjine  ter  help  ye.'  " 

"Oh,  Gran 'ther,  you're  just  too  funny,"  cried 


UNCLE    ABNER    ADMITS    HE'S    WRONG    233 

Kitty  between  peals  of  laughter.  "But  you've  a 
fine  car  and  I  know  you  and  Aunt  Mandy  will  en- 
joy it  ever  so  much.  Please  don't  race  and  kill 
yourselves,  though." 

"I'll  have  to  take  the  blame  for  what  the  miller 
said,"  admitted  Tom.  "But  I  didn't  expect  he'd 
repeat  it  to  you  and  I'll  take  it  all  back.  You  look 
as  if  you'd  been  accustomed  to  a  car  for  years." 

"That's  all  right,  son,"  cried  Gran'ther  Joe.  "I 
don't  mind  you  youngsters  havin'  yer  fling,  but  I 
won't  take  sass  from  no  miller.  What  der  ye  think 
o'  the  rig-outs  Mandy  an'  me's  a-wearin"?" 

"They're  fine,"  announced  Tom.  "Just  what 
you  need  for  motoring." 

"Wall,  I  think  we  look  like  er  couple  o'  ol'  hop- 
toads myself,"  declared  the  farmer.  "The  feller 
what  sold  me  ther  car  says  as  they  be  the  fterect 
rig-outs,  so  I  reckoned  they  wuz  all  right  an'  bought 
the  hull  bisness  ter  one 't. ' ' 

"Now  you  have  a  car,  you  must  come  to  see  us 
often,"  said  Kitty  as  they  prepared  to  drive  on. 
"We  haven't  seen  you  for  a  long  time." 

"Sure,  we'll  drop  in,"  agreed  Aunt  Mandy.  "Joe 
kinder  wanted  ter  s 'prise  ye  with  the  car,  but 
there's  a  heap  he  wants  ter  larn  about  it,  an*  Tom 
and  Mr.  Selwin  kin  help  him  a  lot. ' ' 


234      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

Ealpli  was  greatly  amused  when  he  learned  of 
Gran'ther  Joe's  car. 

"I'm  not  really  surprised,"  he  said.  "I  noticed 
the  old  man  took  an  unusual  interest  in  our  cars 
after  his  ride,  and  I  judged  by  his  questions  he'd 
been  looking  into  the  matter.  Old  as  he  is  he 's  still 
young  in  spirits  and  is  a  keen  lover  of  sport.  Noth- 
ing will  delight  him  more  than  passing  his  neigh- 
bors on  the  roads  and  ' showing  off.'  But  I  didn't 
think  he  'd  go  quite  so  far  as  to  buy  a  high-powered 
racing  roadster." 

"Now  you  see  the  results  of  your  hard  labor  at 
pruning  the  trees, ' '  remarked  Ralph,  as  he  and  Tom 
were  gathering  the  apples  in  the  orchard.  "Your 
crop  isn't  very  large,  but  the  fruit  is  all  sound,  fair 
and  of  splendid  size. ' ' 

"And  everyone  else  is  complaining  because  the 
apple  crop's  a  failure,"  said  Tom.  "I  suppose  irri- 
gating the  trees  saved  ours. ' ' 

"Yes,  but  if  the  trees  had  not  been  pruned,  a  great 
deal  more  irrigation  would  have  been  required. 
The  amount  of  water  any  plant  absorbs  is  in  propor- 
tion to  the  evaporation  from  its  leaves.  Your  trees 
could  devote  all  their  vitality  to  producing  fruit  and 
were  not  compelled  to  let  the  fruit  suffer  in  order 
to  maintain  an  unnecessary  growth  of  foliage." 


UNCLE    ABNER    ADMITS    HE'S    WRONG    235 

"It's  lucky  we  didn't  have  a  fire  during  that 
drought,"  remarked  Tom.  "Mr.  Grant  says  that 
over  in  Simsville  the  forest  fires  destroyed  thou- 
sands of  acres  of  timber." 

"We've  much  to  be  thankful  for,"  agreed  Ealph. 
"Your  crops,  with  the  exception  of  the  melons,  have 
all  done  well.  You've  a  barn  full  of  hay;  your  poul- 
try has  increased  amazingly;  you've  the  nucleus  for 
a  remunerative  fox  farm;  you  have  a  comfortable 
home  of  your  own,  and  you've  made  Ridgelea  Farm 
something  to  be  proud  of.  And,  best  of  all,  both 
you  and  Kitty  are  healthy  and  happy." 

"Just  the  same  most  of  the  credit  belongs  to 
you,"  declared  Tom.  "We'd  never  have  succeeded 
without  your  help." 

' '  Or,  to  go  back  further,  why  not  give  your  Uncle 
Abner  the  credit  1 ' '  laughed  Ealph.  ' '  But  that 's  not 
the  point.  If  you  hadn  't  taken  hold  with  a  will,  and 
Kitty  and  you  hadn't  worked  with  determination  to 
make  your  farm  a  success,  nothing  would  have  been 
accomplished." 

"Speaking  of  Uncle  Abner  reminds  me  it's  almost 
time  to  visit  Mr.  Morton  and  hear  the  contents  of 
those  mysterious  papers,"  exclaimed  Tom.  "I'd 
almost  forgotten  about  them.  Goodness,  it  doesn't 
seem  possible  we've  lived  here  nearly  a  year." 


236      UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

"Time  has  flown,"  admitted  his  cousin.  "Have 
you  and  Kitty  balanced  your  accounts  to  see  how 
much  you've  cleared?" 

"  No, ' '  replied  Tom.  ' '  We  've  balanced  them  from 
month  to  month,  and  I  know  we're  way  ahead  on 
profits,  but  we  decided  to  wait  until  all  the  crops 
were  in  and  all  expenses  for  the  year  had  been  paid, 
and  then  see  how  accounts  stood  for  the  entire 
year." 

1 '  That 's  a  good  plan, ' '  agreed  Ealph.  ' '  Your  late 
potatoes  and  a  few  other  vegetables  and  your  nut 
crop  are  all  that  remain  now.  Then  you'll  have 
time  to  go  over  the  books.  It  might  be  a  good  idea 
to  show  Mr.  Morton  a  statement  of  the  accounts. 
As  executor  of  the  estate  I've  no  doubt  he'll  be 
greatly  interested — especially  as  the  farm  was  al- 
ways a  losing  proposition  during  my  stepfather's 
lifetime. ' ' 

The  late  vegetables  were  safely  harvested,  the 
final  potatoes  were  dug,  and  in  the  sharp,  frosty, 
autumn  days  Tom,  Ralph  and  Kitty  spent  many 
hours  gathering  the  brown-shelled  nuts  among  the 
brilliant  fallen  leaves.  At  last  all  the  products  of 
the  farm  were  garnered,  the  fields  were  mulched, 
the  crimson  clover,  vetch  and  cow-peas  were  plowed 
under,  and  the  owners  of  Ridgelea  Farm  commenced 


Tom's  apples  were  sound  and  of  splendid  size 


The  late  crops  were  harvested 


UNCLE    ABNER    ADMITS    HE'S    WRONG    237 

the  task  of  tabulating  their  expenses  and  receipts. 
The  list  was  long,  for  Kitty  had  been  faithful  to  her 
duties  and  every  item  was  carefully  recorded,  but 
after  several  days  spent  with  books  and  papers  the 
work  was  completed  and  the  final  result  appeared 
as  follows: 


Expenses 

Moving    $  10.00 

Repairs  on  house 200.00 

Shingles,  etc.,  barn. . .  100.00 

Furnishings    150.00 

Hens  (42)    72.00 

Books  and  magazines  5.75 
Seeds,       bulbs,       etc. 

(flowers)   64.50 

Hot-beds     and     cold- 
frames  53.00 

Carpenter  tools 30.00 

Netting   9.00 

Sash 51.00 

Horse  and  wagon ....  210.00 

Harness 12.00 

Axe   2.25 

Circular  saw 11.00 

Mandril 3.00 

Belt  and  pulley 3.60 

Gasolene  92.40 

Oil  7.40 

Chopper  (for  lumber- 
ing)      30.00 

Rotary  pump 18.00 

Water  tank 15.00 

Pipes  and  hose 16.00 

Counter  shaft 12.00 


Receipts 

Cordwood  $1,168.00 

Flowers,  bulbs,  boxes, 

etc 251.05 

Hickory  timber 46.00 

Eggs 55.24 

Butter       and       dairy 

products   24.96 

Vegetables    2,681.15 

Fruit   153.20 

Nuts 36.55 

Weeds   4.05 

Lease  of  trout  brook.  150.00 


$4,571.15 


238 


UNCLE    ABNER'S    LEGACY 


Expenses 


Bone  cutter $  12.50 

Farm    tools    and    re- 
pairs      75.00 

Insecticides  6.00 

Manure  and  fertilizer  450.00 

Farm  seeds 200.00 

Cow  50.00 

Feed    203.60 

Automobile  275.00 

Garage 110.00 

Horseshoeing   25.00 

Auto  expenses 35.00 

Hired  man 120.00 

Martha    90.00 

Living  expenses 459.25 

Clothing    50.50 

Insurance   101.10 

Incidentals 102.25 


$3,554.10 


Receipts 
Brought  forward  . .  .$  4,571.15 


Expenses    $  3,554.10 


Balance $1,017.05 


"That's  a  fine  showing,"  declared  Ralph.  "But 
there's  one  thing  you've  overlooked.  You've  en- 
tered the  cost  of  the  machines,  tools,  hot-beds,  live 
stock,  etc.,  but  these  are  really  so  much  capital  in- 
vested while  the  hay  on  hand  has  a  definite  cash 
value.  You  should  add  these  to  the  total  sum  for 
they  are  just  as  much  assets  as  your  money  in  the 
bank." 

"I    hadn't    thought    of    that,"    admitted    Tom. 


UNCLE    ABNER    ADMITS    HE'S    WRONG    239 


" Goodness,  that  makes  a  deal  of  difference,  doesn't 
it?"  He  handed  his  cousin  the  following  corrected 
statement : 


Assets 

Bone  cutter   $  12.50 

Furnishings    150.00 

Hot-beds  and  sash. . .  104.00 

Tools 30.00 

Horse,  wagon,  harness  222.00 
Axe,  saws,  machinery, 

etc 80.85 

Farm  implements  . . .  75.00 


Cow   $  50.00 

Garage    110.00 

Automobile  275.00 

Hens   72.00 

Hay   200.00 

Foxes 400.00 


Net  profits 


$1,781.35 
.  1,017.05 


Total  $2,798.40 


"Mighty  few  farms  of  this  size  can  show  a  bal- 
ance equal  to  that,"  announced  Ralph.  "Your 
Uncle  Abner  ought  to  rise  up  from  the  grave  and 
compliment  you. ' ' 

"He'll  have  to  if  he's  going  to  admit  he's  wrong, 
as  he  promised,"  laughed  Tom.  "But  there's  one 
item  we  haven't  included  yet  and  to  my  mind  it's 
the  most  important  of  all.  That's  experience. 
We've  learned  all  sorts  of  things  from  raising  vege- 
tables to  running  motors  and  machinery;  we'll  do 
twice  as  well  next  year. ' ' 

"To-morrow's  the  anniversary  of  our  taking  pos- 
session of  Ridgelea  Farm,"  said  Kitty.  "I'm  just 
wild  to  know  what  those  papers  will  reveal." 


240       UNCLE  ABNER'S  LEGACY 

"We'll  know  by  to-morrow  night  at  this  time," 
remarked  Tom. 

Mr.  Morton  welcomed  the  visitors  cordially.  "I 
see  you  recollected  the  date,"  he  remarked.  "I 
was  about  to  notify  you  that  the  stipulated  time  had 
expired  but  waited  to  see  if  you  would  bear  it  in 
mind.    How  is  the  farm  progressing?" 

"We've  done  splendidly,  thanks  to  Cousin 
Ralph,"  declared  Tom.  "Here's  our  year's  ac- 
count. We  thought  you  might  be  interested  in  look- 
ing it  over." 

"Hum,  that's  certainly  an  excellent  report,"  said 
Mr.  Morton  as  he  glanced  over  the  paper.  "You 
are  to  be  congratulated.  I  had  no  conception  that 
a  small  farm  in  this  vicinity  could  be  made  so 
highly  remunerative,  especially  by  amateurs  as  one 
might  say." 

"Modern  methods  and  scientific  theories  did  it," 
remarked  Tom. 

"Not  forgetting  plenty  of  hard  work,"  added 
Selwin. 

"An  excellent  combination  I  should  surmise," 
said  Morton.  "But  I  presume  you  are  anxious  to 
learn  the  contents  of  the  late  Mr.  Bennett's  sealed 
papers." 


UNCLE    ABNER    ADMITS    HE'S    WRONG    241 

As  lie  spoke  lie  drew  a  package  from  the  safe 
and  placed  it  on  the  desk. 

1 '  This  first  package, ' '  he  remarked, ' '  I  am  directed 
to  open  and  read  in  your  presence  on  this  date." 

Then,  breaking  the  seals  and  spreading  out  the 
sheets  of  paper,  he  read  the  contents,  which  omit- 
ting the  legal  terms  and  details,  ran  as  follows: 

''This  being  a  duly  attested  and  properly  executed 
codicil  to  my  last  will  and  testament,  I,  Abner  Ben- 
nett, bind  and  direct  my  executors  to  fulfill  the  fol- 
lowing provisions.  First :  If  upon  the  date  of  read- 
ing this  codicil  Thomas  and  Kathryn  Manville 
still  retain  possession  of  Ridgelea  Farm  and  can 
prove  to  the  satisfaction  of  my  executors  that  the 
property  is  free  from  debt  or  mortgage  and  that 
during  the  twelve  months  which  they  have  occupied 
Ridgelea  Farm  they  have  jointly  or  severally 
earned  a  net  profit  of  not  less  than  one  thousand 
dollars  from  the  said  property  I  give  and  bequeath 
to  the  said  Thomas  and  Kathryn  Manville  the  sum 
of  five  thousand  dollars  each.  The  said  sum  being 
contained  in  the  package  marked  Number  2  and  en- 
trusted to  the  care  of  Mr.  Henry  Morton  in  com- 
pany with  this  codicil. 

Second:  If  upon  the  date  of  reading  this  codicil 
it  can  be  proved  to  the  satisfaction  of  my  executor 


242  UNCLE    ABNER'S    LEGACY 

that  my  stepson,  Ealph  Selwin,  has  aided  the  said 
Thomas  and  Kathryn  Manville  in  the  management 
of  Eidgelea  Farm  and  that  through  his  aid  or  ad- 
vice, either  wholly  or  in  part,  the  said  profit  of  one 
thousand  dollars  or  more  has  accrued,  I  hereby  give 
and  bequeath  the  following:  My  property  known 
as  "The  Maples,"  with  its  contents;  the  inventory, 
keys  and  deeds  to  which  are  enclosed  in  the  package 
marked  Number  3  and  which  is  entrusted  to  the  care 
of  Mr.  Henry  Morton,  in  company  with  packet  Num- 
ber 2  and  this  codicil. 

"Third:  If  at  the  time  of  reading  this  codicil  it 
appears  that  Thomas  and  Kathryn  Manville  have 
not  retained  possession  of  Eidgelea  Farm  or  have 
leased,  sold,  mortgaged  or  otherwise  disposed  of  it 
or  have  failed  to  realize  a  net  profit  of  one  thousand 
dollars  or  more  as  stipulated,  then  the  sum  of  ten 
thousand  dollars  contained  in  package  Number  2 
shall  be  devoted  to  charity  as  hereinafter  provided 
for. 

"Fourth:  If  upon  the  reading  of  this  codicil  it 
appears  that  my  stepson,  Ealph  Selwin,  has  not 
aided  Thomas  or  Kathryn  Manville  or  has  in  no 
manner  been  responsible  for  any  profits  which  have 
accrued  from  Eidgelea  Farm,  the  property  known 
as  "The  Maples,"  with  its  contents,  shall  be  sold  at 


UNCLE    ABNER    ADMITS    HE'S    WRONG    243 

public  auction  to  the  highest  bidder  and  the  pro- 
ceeds of  said  sale  shall  be  devoted  to  charity  as 
hereinafter  provided  for." 

At  this  point  Mr.  Morton  raised  his  eyes  from  the 
paper  and  beamed  kindly  through  his  glasses  at  his 
hearers.  "I  presume,"  he  remarked,  "the  further 
contents  of  this  codicil  are  of  little  interest  or  im- 
portance to  you.  It  is  manifest  that  under  the  con- 
ditions set  forth  there  will  be  no  necessity  of  de- 
voting either  the  sum  in  cash  or  the  proceeds  from 
a  sale  of  'The  Maples'  to  charity.  My  dear  young 
friends,  I  congratulate  you  all." 

1 '  Oh,  I  think  Uncle  Abner  was  just  lovely, ' '  cried 
Kitty. 

"He's  certainly  done  splendidly  by  us,"  agreed 
Ealph. 

"I'll  take  back  all  I  ever  said  about  him,"  de- 
clared Tom.  "He  was  a  good  sport  and  admits  he 
was  wrong,  after  all." 


THE    END 


COMPANION  STORIES  OF  COUNTRY  LIFE 

FOR  BOYS By  CHARLES  <P.  &URTON 

THE  BOYS  OF  BOB'S  HILL 

Illustrated  by  George  A.  Williams.     12mo.    $1.25. 

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THE  BOB'S  CAVE  BOYS 

Illustrated  by   Victor    Perard.     $1.50. 

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THE  BOY  SCOUTS  OF  BOB'S  HILL 

Illustrated  by  Gordon  Grant.     12mo.     $1.25  net. 

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CAMP  BOB'S  HILL 

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TOM  STRONG,  WASHINGTON'S  SCOUT 

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Tom  Strong  and  a  sturdy  old  trapper  take  part  in  such 
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TOM  STRONG,  JUNIOR 

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